I Want To Be Alone On Valentine's Day
by KatherineTheMoth
Summary: When Sonic suggested to Amy that she should hang out with her friends more, she immediately chose Knuckles to be her fake boyfriend to get back at Sonic. Knuckles at first disagrees with the plan, but when Rouge is trying to get into contact with him, he agrees with the plan just to avoid his ex-girlfriend. Why can't he just be alone? Especially on Valentine's Day?
1. I Got A Fake Girlfriend For My Birthday

I Want To Be Alone On Valentine's Day

**Disclaimer: All Sonic characters belong to Sega. Also, this story takes place in the Sonic X universe after Season 3. It also takes place before Sonic Lost World takes place, which in my head-cannon takes place in the middle of summer. Somewhere at the end of June. Anyways, enjoy!**

Part 1: I Got A Fake Girlfriend For My Birthday!

_Sigh. Why am I here?_ Knuckles the Echidna thought as he stood in front of Cream's house. His so-called friends had decided to throw Knuckles a birthday party at Cream's house. His birthday was on the third of February. So, that's why Knuckles is here. He tried to deny them before by saying that he needed to guard the Master Emerald, but in actuality, he knew that he was trying to get out of these social situations such as "parties". What's even worse is that this is his first party that his "friends" had threw for him. Well, gee, now why is that you ask? It's because his "friends" throw Sonic more parties because his birthday was more famous than his. It would be a broken record if Knuckles says he's jealous of Sonic considering** he** is his rival, but that would be redundant at this point. His "friends" would attest to that.

Still, Knuckles knew that his "friends" would at some point drag him kicking and screaming if he doesn't come. Besides, he could at least take his mind off of his "dark secret thoughts" at the moment.

_It's just one day, Knuckles. It's just one day. Hopefully, this won't end in a disaster. Just like the multiple times those idiots had forced me into spending time with them on that oh-so-infamous "six months incident". "Oh hey, Knuckles! It's going to be fun! Why don't we hang out for today?! It won't be long!". Grrrrr. Never forget, Knuckles. Never forget._ Knuckles brooded as he clenched his fists and closed his eyes as he remembered that torturous event. Before he could go even further with that memory, he shook his head and knocked on the door politely. He took a few deep breaths before the door opened.

"Aha! I knew that you could make it, Mr. Knuckles! You never let us down!" Cream spoke cheerfully. Cream the Rabbit and Cheese the Chao are one of the group of Knuckles' circle of "friends" he associates with time to time. Although if he was being honest, Cream is probably the most tolerable one of the group since she's soft-spoken and polite.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm here. Are you going to let me in?" Knuckles replied directly as he got straight to the point.

"Why yes, of coarse, Mr. Knuckles! Everything is ready! The cake will be done in five minutes so that we can eat soon!" Cream answered happily. Cheese agreed by saying, "Chao!".

"Um, shouldn't the cake be already done? You did say that 'everything is ready'. So, what gives?" Knuckles spoke with suspicion in his tone. He hates it when things are not being consistent with the facts. He always suspects it as lying.

"Oh! Um, well, we did had some trouble setting up the decorations and sending and resending gifts that we barely had any time making the cake! I hope that you could excuse the delay, Mr. Knuckles," Cream answered honesty while looking guilty.

Knuckles sighed again. He expected that something would go wrong with his party. He then replied gloomy, "Why am I not surprised?".

"Aw, cheer up, Mr. Knuckles! Today will be a great day! There will be cake, presents, games, and so much fun! All of us are here too! So, you won't be lonely on your birthday! Isn't that great?!" Cream exclaimed innocently.

_Oh, joy. Hanging out with my "friends" is always a blast. If that's the case, then why haven't I made the effort to visit you guys more often if it's so "fun"? Obviously because IT ISN'T!_ Knuckles thought angrily as he tried to calm himself on the outside. He then replied tersely, "Yes, it will be great".

"Yay! Now come inside already! I'll tell my mom that you're here! Go talk to the others!" Cream exclaimed excitedly, unaware on how curt Knuckles' tone was. Cheese flew back inside following Cream as he said, "Chao! Chao! Chao!".

"Ughhh..." Knuckles groaned as he held his head low and walked inside slowly.

Of coarse, not to long after that, Sonic the Hedgehog, Tails the Fox, Amy Rose, Cream, Vanilla the Rabbit, Espio the Chameleon, Vector the Crocodile, and Charmy the Bee all shouted loudly, "SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY KNUCKLES THE ECHIDNA!".

_Annnnnd the despair begins..._Knuckles brooded.

"Hey there, Knucklehead! Glad that you had finally made it to your own party! I did doubt that you were going to be here since you're supposed to the 'party-pooper' of the group. But look at you! You made the effort to come here!" Sonic teased as he quickly ran to Knuckle's side and gave him a quick noogie.

Knuckles swatted at Sonic's arm as he got out of the noogie. He already felt mocked, and the party hasn't even started yet. This will certainly be a **long** day for him. "_Yeah, thanks a lot Sonic. I **really **felt appreciated around here_," Knuckles replied sarcastically.

"Oh, come on, Knuckles! It's a party! So, you better loosen up!" Sonic replied back, challenging Knuckles.

"I **don't** party. If you want to have some fun, then go play with Tails or Vector! Heck, maybe you could give Amy a _fun_ time," Knuckles dismissed before being smug at the end.

Sonic cringed when he heard Amy yell, "OOOOH! Yeah! That's a wonderful idea, Knuckles! Hey, Sonic! Let's play some board games as a couple! I bet that I could bet you in a game called 'Mouse-Trap'! Or as I like to call it 'Hedgehog-Trap'. *swoon*".

Sonic gulped as he thought._ Yuck. She's just as bad as Eggman when she's obsessive towards me. At least Eggman doesn't love me! Ugh. That would be disturbing._

Knuckles crossed his arms as he kept a smug smile on his face as he watched Sonic nervously tells Amy 'no'. Naturally, Amy doesn't take this very kindly.

"WHHAAAT?! OH, COME ON SONIC! It's just **one** board game! Why couldn't you at least TRY to spend some quality time with me?! What did I ever do to you, huh?!" Amy yelled as she felt very irritated at Sonic.

"Amy! Chill out! It's just...well...shouldn't we invite Knuckles to play with us? It's his party! He should be able to do whatever he desires on his birthday, right?" Sonic responded while panicking and sweating. He put his hands in front of Amy to give himself some space.

"Well, why can't it be just the two of us playing the game, Sonic?! After all, the game has only two players! Knuckles will be like **the third wheel** in the game!" Amy argued while looking angry. Vector snorted in the background. Espio elbowed him in the stomach because of his immaturity. Vector groaned as he muttered, "Sorry".

"Listen Amy, I'm paranoid of board games now ever since all of us had played a board game that had made us venture out into space!**(See A/N below). **If that board game is cursed, then I don't want to stay stuck in a game that is only for the two of us!" Sonic defended his argument as he crossed his arms.

"What the-?! What are you talking about, Sonic?! That never happened! You probably just watched some movie where a board game comes to life or something! It sounds just as ludicrous as those times when you told me you got stuck inside two storybooks! I still doubted that had ever happened! You clearly made those stories up so that you could have an excuse to avoid dating me!" Amy yelled furiously. She still felt bitter for Sonic ditching her on their dates.

"I'm telling you that had actually happened! I remember clear as day on how that happened! Those adventures were so vivid to me that I swear that I didn't make them up! I'm not even **that** creative enough to come up with good stories like that! I think on my feet! That's why you think they're terrible because of how I retold them!" Sonic argued back while frowning.

"Wow. That's the first time that you've been honest with yourself. Where was that humble hedgehog that we've been waiting to see? It could do you some good to bring that ego of yours down a notch, you know," Knuckles spoke up while grinning mischievously. _This day couldn't get even better than this. _Knuckles thought as his eyes are halfway closed.

Sonic turned around and glared at Knuckles. Knuckles just shrugged. Sonic looked back at Amy as he continued arguing. "Besides, Amy, we don't need to be spending time together every single moment! Give some time to yourself! **I** need time to myself!" Sonic argued.

Some of the others awkwardly watched Sonic and Amy argue. Tails quietly stepped away and walked towards Knuckles. Tails stood by Knuckles' right side. He whispered to Knuckles, "_Um, Knuckles? Are you feeling...well...uncomfortable? Because I am_".

Knuckles glanced at Tails as he replied quietly, "Nah. Honestly, this is the best part of my birthday so far. Sonic getting confronted by Amy. Hmph. Always a classic in my book". He looked at Tails with wry eyebrows and a smirk. Tails looked downwards as he sighed. Sonic and Amy continued their argument.

"'Time to yourself'? 'Time to yourself'?! I already had enough of you having too much time to yourself! I am always by myself all the time! Why do you think that I set us up on dates?! Why do you think that I spent all my time and effort into making every moment special?! It's because I care about you Sonic! Why couldn't you at least spare me _your time and effort_ into spending some quality time with me?! We could play that board game right now! Hey, there's an idea for you! Why don't you take the chance and hang out with me?!" Amy yelled furiously.

"Because it isn't about you, Amy! It's about Knuckles! He's my friend, and this day is about him! Celebrating your friend's birthday is way more important than spending time alone with you! You should include more friends into your activities more often than spending time with me!" Sonic argued his point by pointing to Knuckles for emphasis.

"Oh, yeah?! Then what about Valentine's Day?! You know that you can't skip out on your chance to spend the entire day with your girlfriend! Even your best friend, Tails, knows that spending time with your loved ones is more important than friends!" Amy argued back while pointing at Tails for emphasis.

Knuckles and Tails both had sweat drops on their heads when their names were mentioned in their friends' argument. Vector then yelled suddenly, "Gak! I almost had forgotten about Valentine's Day! I better plan something for Vanilla!".

Espio slapped him on the back very hard as he said, "Really? At a time like this?".

Vector winced as he rubbed his back as he muttered "Sorry" again. Amy and Sonic briefly looked at Vector for a moment before turning back to each other.

"Look, Amy! I don't even celebrate Valentine's Day! I think that it's a stupid holiday because it makes you feel worse when you realize that you don't have a partner! There's no reason to celebrate it if it always makes you feel sad every year on that day! Besides, I'm more fulfilled now because I'm single and not in a relationship! I firmly believe that anyone can be fulfilled without meeting this 'special someone'! Many people would be even happier since they don't have to deal with the drama that couples get at least once every year! Just like the one that we were having now!" Sonic argued his point by using some hand gestures.

"*Gasp* You really think of us as a couple?!" Amy squealed as she felt a little better about this. At least she knows now what Sonic really thinks what their relationship is.

"WH-WHAT?! NO! NO WAY! I'm just saying that you should probably spend more time on friends than on me! Why don't you spend Valentine's Day with one of your friends?!" Sonic yelled defensively by waving his hands back and forth as a "no" gesture.

Amy tried to argue back but failed because what Sonic had said was true. Why didn't she ever try that before? She had always spent every Valentine's Day alone because she was unsuccessful into convincing Sonic to go on a date with her on that day. However, if she could date one of her friends for a while before Valentine's Day, then...

Ding!

"Oh, the cake is done! I'll go get it out and decorate it with icing! Who wants to come with me and help?" Vanilla spoke up while feeling grateful for a diversion to the tense atmosphere that the two hedgehogs are having. Tails, Cream and Cheese, Espio, Vector, and Charmy all raised their hands to answer Vanilla's question. They too wanted to leave the room immediately because of how uncomfortable it is.

"Oh, good then. Follow me into the kitchen. There are several dishes that I would like to make. Your help will be appreciated," Vanilla said as she walked slowly to the kitchen. The others followed her as well. There was only Knuckles, Sonic, and Amy in the room now. _Speaking of being the "third wheel" earlier..._Knuckles thought dully.

Sonic and Amy looked back at each other. However, Amy smiling deviously now. She has an idea that will get Sonic to finally date her. Sonic did not like the expression that Amy is making right now. He felt nervous as he asked, "Um, uh, Amy? Why are you smiling like that?".

"Knuckles!" Amy yelled as she turned and pointed at the echidna.

Knuckles was startled by the sudden proclamation of his name. He awkwardly said, "Uh, what?".

"I choose you to be my Valentine this year! You're going to be my new **boyfriend**!" Amy proudly stated as she beamed at him.

Both Sonic and Knuckles had the same reaction. "WH-WH-WH-WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTT?!" shouted the two rivals. They both jerked back in shock as their eyes were as wide as saucer plates.

"OH, HECK NOOO! I'M NOT DATING YOU! AMY, THIS IS CRAZY! I DEMAND THAT YOU TAKE THAT STATEMENT BACK!" Knuckles shouted as he was blushing furiously bright red.

"YEAH! TAKE THAT BACK! ARE YOU EVEN THINKING RIGHT, AMY?! YOU WOULD RATHER DATE KNUCKLES OF ALL PEOPLE!" Sonic shouted in shock. Amy simply crossed her arms and had a smug look on her face.

"WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN, SONIC?! WHAT IS SO BAD ABOUT ME?!" Knuckles shouted at Sonic as he felt ticked off by that hurtful statement.

Amy tried to speak up, but Sonic and Knuckles turned their attention onto each other. It is their turn to have an argument.

"Well, why don't we start off about the fact that you couldn't even handle a serious relationship. Remember Rouge? You know, the one time that you had tried to date her for several months?" Sonic spoke out loud while putting his hands onto his hips.

Knuckles felt a vein popping in his forehead. _Oh no. Don't you DARE start with that, Sonic! Grrrr. I really, really hate you sometimes_. Knuckles brooded angrily as he was about to lose his temper again.

"Oh, don't start with that! You have to believe me that Rouge isn't worth it! Look, I had tried to give her a chance and to get to know her better, but all I end up getting was a narcissist who couldn't take 'no' for an answer!" Knuckles defended his point while crossing his arms.

"What are you talking about?! Rouge was the only girl who had ever expressed interest in you, and you had dumped her just because you felt like your boundaries were crossed! Knuckles, all you needed to do was to use social skills to solve your problems! Not fighting! It's no wonder that you're bad with girls. You lack social skills! Not surprising considering that you prefer to stay on your island all day and never take the time to visit others such as your "friends"!" Sonic argued back while being sassy.

"Sonic! I can't convince that crazy Batgirl to respect my boundaries! She's a thief! She's used to stepping over people's boundaries because she steals jewels from others! She would probably say 'no' if I told her to respect my boundaries that I have! It's that reason alone that I had dumped her, and she deserved it on how she had treated me those past several months! I wasn't valued or cared for at all, and she made me feel worse while being with her! Yeah, I may lack social skills, but at least I made the right decision into breaking up with her! It would never work!" Knuckles argued back.

"You're just being impatient! Do you honestly expect Rouge to change after she was going out with you? You do realize that your judgmental and short-tempered behavior are the very reasons why that relationship didn't work! You only have yourself to blame! And I think that is why you shouldn't date Amy!" Sonic argued back while pointing at Knuckles.

"Ah! ...Ah! I-I-I can't believe you! You think that **I** can't handle relationships as serious as dating, huh?! All just because I can't control my temper and my doubtful nature! Do you have idea how hard I had tried to get along with Rouge considering how easily she gets on my nerves?! If you have to deal with someone who easily gets on your nerves daily, then you will feel like it's a chore! I bet that's how Amy is for you, but you won't admit the truth because you're worried about hurting her feelings! You say that I'm bad at handling women, but you're no better! You only act nice around girls because you don't want to be the one who made them cry! You're supposed to be honest with them! Sometimes the truth hurts Sonic, but it's better for them to be hurt by the truth than to be hurt by lies! I would know **because I've always been tricked by people like you and Dr. Eggman! Now, what excuse do you have for that, Mr. 'Nice' Hedgehog?!**" Knuckles argued back with passion filling in his speech.

For once, Sonic didn't have an answer to that. He just stood there staring wide eyed at Knuckles. He felt speechless after that. He slowly looked down to the ground, feeling lost. Amy covered her mouth with her hands while they were arguing. She had to admit that Knuckles was right. For all the problems that Knuckles has, he's at least honest. He never have to put on a show to please others, unlike Sonic. He is very blunt on his opinions and doesn't care for someone's feelings whenever the truth is the main subject. He would be the one telling the truth to others unapologetically. He's also very genuine about how he presents himself. He presents himself with valor and honor. He cares very deeply about honesty since like he had said before, had been prone to lies and trickery in the past. Amy suddenly felt sympathy for him.

_Poor Knuckles. It's so sad that he doesn't have a special someone right now. He really is such a good guy at heart. He really does deserve someone who will love him and respect him unconditionally. It's too bad that I'm in love with Sonic though. I would be very happy if I had ever fallen in love with him if Sonic wasn't around. Alas, fate wouldn't allow it. Maybe it would be a good thing to be his "girlfriend" for Valentine's Day. Even if were going out as friends, it's the thought that counts._ Amy pondered to herself.

She then shook her head and walked over to Knuckles. Knuckles raised his eyebrows as he saw she Amy's concerned expression. Amy then said quietly, "Hey, Knuckles? Can we talk in the guest room upstairs? I think that it's best if you and Sonic need some space to cool down".

Knuckles stared at Amy with a solemn expression on his face. He soon sighed and nodded. Amy said, "Good. Let's go". Knuckles and Amy walked around Sonic and went upstairs to the guest room. Sonic stood still while staring at the ground with a stunned expression. The others had eavesdropped from the kitchen's corner, hearing the entire argument. To be fair, Sonic and Knuckles were shouting very loudly, so, it was impossible for them to ignore them. They also felt bad for Knuckles.

"Poor Mr. Knuckles. I had no idea that he was sensitive to stuff like relationships. He really did sound offended," Cream commentated while feeling sad. Cheese expressed his sadness too by saying in a sad tone, "Chao chao chaooooo".

"Yeah, I've seen Knuckles get upset before. But he sounded livid whenever Rouge was brought up. It really must've been that bad of a relationship if it got a strong reaction out of him," Tails agreed while looking sad as well.

"The poor dear," Vanilla said simply while shaking her head.

"Say, will Knuckles be alright? I don't know if should continue the party if he comes back," Charmy said while feeling worried.

Espio shook his head and said to Charmy, "No, I don't think that we should do it. He may be upset, but he will calm down and let the party to continue. He's not the type of person to give up when things get bad. He's stubborn as you had called him in the past".

"Well, that's great! Because I've been looking forward to eating Miss Vanilla's tastiest meals and desserts! I'm sure that he'll be fine he eats them!" Vector chimed in while holding a grilled sandwich.

The others glared at Vector for that insensitive comment. Vector looked at them in confusion. "What?" Vector asked.

Espio just face-palmed as he muttered, "Only you would say that".

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?!" Vector yelled.

"SHUT UP, VECTOR!" shouted all of them except for Vector.

-Meanwhile In the Guest Room-

After Amy and Knuckles had went inside, Amy closed the door in order to keep the conversation private. She took a few breaths before she turned around and faced Knuckles. Knuckles was crossing his arms the entire time, waiting for Amy to start talking. Amy looked a bit guilty because put her hands behind her back and looked down. She then spoke up.

"Um, Knuckles? I'm...I'm sorry that I blurted that out of the blue. I can understand why you're shocked about it. I just came up with that after Sonic had suggested that I should go out with friends more often. So, I thought that maybe I could kill two birds with one stone by doing what Sonic had suggested while making him jealous by...um...fake dating you. I'm sorry that I had put the pressure onto you without your consent," Amy apologized while honestly explaining her actions to him.

Knuckles sighed and closed his eyes. "Do you honestly believe that I would go along with your hair-brained scheme just because you want to get back at Sonic? I'm sorry, but no, I'm not doing it! This is clearly stupid, and I don't want any part of it!" Knuckles replied while feeling annoyed.

"But! But Knuckles! It wouldn't be so bad! We would just be hanging out! We could tease Sonic a little bit by doing mild romantic actions like holding hands and hugging, nothing too uncomfortable. It would just be enough to give Sonic a reason to decide to spend more time with me! But hey, if it doesn't work out, we could enjoy Valentine's Day together as two single friends!" Amy said enthusiastically while trying to convince him to agree with her plan.

"No way! I wouldn't want to do that sort of thing! I also don't want to spend Valentine's Day with you! I want to be alone on that day!" Knuckles argued back while looking more disgruntled.

Amy felt annoyed because she crossed her arms too and puffed out her cheeks. "Aw, come on, Knuckles! Why do you have to be such a spoilsport?! Why do you want to be alone on Valentine's Day?! It could be fun if we hang out together for once!" Amy defended while frowning.

Knuckles looked away and held up a hand as he said, "I've heard that one before! Nice try, but I'm not falling for that one again! Every time you or your friends say 'it'll be fun' it always goes wrong for me! Also, do I look like I care if I'm a spoilsport or not? I can't help it that I'm the most serious one of the group! Besides, you guys need someone who's level-headed considering how easily you guys get distracted from searching for the Chaos Emeralds all the time!".

"Hey! We are not so easily distracted! You are! How often do you always leave Angel Island just because you got interested into something else?! Or how often do you let the Master Emerald get stolen just because of something else had caught your attention?!" Amy argued back.

Knuckles gritted his teeth at that statement. It's not his fault that his mind is too busy contemplating on what it means to be a true "guardian" lately. He had been pondering on what his purpose of being a guardian really is these past few months. It is natural that he's not been attentive to his guardian duties as of late. So, he took this accusation a bit harshly.

"Trust me, Amy. I **wish **that I could be more attentive into watching the Master Emerald, but there are some things that you cannot understand! Anyways, I'm not going to be your fake boyfriend just to get back at Sonic!" Knuckles defended while looking straight at Amy.

"But Knuckles! You and Sonic are rivals! Doesn't that at least give you a motive to at least try this out?" Amy replied.

"Look, Amy. I may be Sonic's rival, but I'm not petty!" Knuckles replied back while shaking his head.

"'Not petty'? Ha! That's a laugh! You two had always butt heads at each other almost every time you meet! How can you say that you're not being petty?" Amy scoffed while rolling her eyes.

"It's not as if I **want** to fight him! Okay, fine, maybe I am a bit petty and also a bit competitive, but I'm not someone who wants to make Sonic miserable! I just want to be left alone!" Knuckles clarified.

"Alright, fine, you win! You don't have to be my fake boyfriend if you don't want to. I give up. But please at least consider the idea. I mean it really wouldn't be that bad. I'm sure that you would even enjoy Valentine's Day if you did go out with me. I really don't want to be alone again this year, and I'm sure that deep down that you don't want to be alone either. Just please give it a chance after you think through with it. Give me a call on the phone when you had decided, okay?" Amy finally said in defeat as her shoulders sagged down and her head is looking down to the floor.

Knuckles sighed in relief as he replied, "Thank you. And fine, I'll think about it like you had asked, but don't get your hopes up. I might not go along with it in the end you know".

Amy sighed sadly. "Yeah, I guess you're right. It is a silly idea that would never happen," Amy said putting her arms to her sides.

Knuckles nodded. A few seconds of silence passed by after that awkward conversation. Amy looked down to the ground again while shifting her feet. Knuckles looked away from her, not wanting to look at her. Amy then spoke up after the long silence.

"Hey, let's just go back to the party. I'm sure that Vanilla has gotten the cake ready. Let's go eat," Amy said quietly.

Knuckles looked back at Amy while still frowning, but he nodded his head in agreement. Amy smiled as she said, "Come on, let's go". With that, she turned around and walked to the door. She opened it and looked back at Knuckles. He looked hesitant to go at first, but he then walked towards the door. Amy smiled again and walked out of the door. Knuckles followed her out of the door and went downstairs with her. They and the others had carried on with the party after that.

-A Few Hours Later-

After Knuckles and his "friends" had eaten the cake and the meal, they played some games and opened the presents. Knuckles did his best to be grateful to them for the gifts he had. One of the gifts was a cell phone made by Tails. Tails said that he could learn to use new technology that his friends are using. Knuckles felt annoyed by that, but he begrudgingly accepted it. He still uses the telephone that Tails made for him a year ago. He doesn't care that if he's behind the times or that he's old-fashioned. He just likes things that are easy to understand.

It was after all of that the gang had started to leave. The Chaotix had left early saying that they got to get back to work with their latest case. Tails had left by going back to his workshop. Knuckles, Sonic, Amy, Cream and Cheese, and Vanilla are left in the house. Knuckles, Sonic, and Amy avoided each other throughout the party. They felt awkward whenever they had looked at each other or made contact with each other. So, they talked with their other friends or Vanilla for the rest of the party. After a few more minutes, Sonic smiled widely as he then exclaimed, "Well then, it's been fun Miss Vanilla, but I got to go too! Cream and Vanilla, thank you for throwing such an awesome party! I'm glad to be a part of it!".

"Thank you, Mr. Sonic! I'm happy that you had enjoyed the party! I'll see you later!" Cream exclaimed back happily. Cheese said, "Chao chao chao chao chao!".

"Take care, Sonic. Have yourself a good day," Vanilla said calmly.

Sonic winked and gave a thumbs up to them. He then opened the door and ran out as fast as he usually goes. Knuckles looked out at the entrance of the door. He turned his head at Vanilla and Cream as he said, "I should get going as well. Thanks for the party".

"Well, I'm glad that you had enjoyed it somewhat. Here is a bag for you to carry your presents. Have a good day, Knuckles," Vanilla said with a smile as she gave a small bag to Knuckles.

Knuckles took the small bag and gave a brief smile at Vanilla. He respects Miss Vanilla at least. Cream came to Knuckles and gave another bag to him. "Here. This bag has some sweets in it. You can take it as well," Cream said while smiling cutely.

Knuckles grabbed the bag and said to Cream, "Hey, thanks, Cream. That's very kind of you. Take care of yourself, okay?".

"I will! Thank you for caring for me, Mr. Knuckles!" Cream exclaimed gratefully as she bowed to him. Cheese agreed by bowing with Cream. Knuckles can't help but smile at that. He waved his free hand goodbye and left Cream's house. Amy watched Knuckles leave. She also had said her goodbyes to Vanilla and Cream, and then she left as well.

She ran up to Knuckles and said, "Hey, Knuckles!".

Knuckles looked back and saw Amy coming to him. He turned around and asked, "Amy? What is it?".

"Um, uh, well, I just wanted to say...just take care of yourself, Knuckles. I hope that you'll be okay," Amy said while looking shyly.

Knuckles raised his eyebrows at that. _Why would she say that?_ Knuckles thought curiously. "Amy? What do you mean by that?" Knuckles asked with intrigue.

"Well...it's just that...my friends and I had noticed that you've been rather...um...I don't know...'off' these days? You seem to be rather gloomier these days. Even more glum than Shadow. I know that you are grumpy in general, however, you seem even more dreary lately. We don't know what it is, but we are rather worried about you, Knuckles. Is there something that you're not telling us?" Amy said with concern on her face.

Knuckles looked surprised by this. He didn't know that his "friends" had noticed his odd behavior. He thought that he had hid his behavior very well by acting like his normal self. He still doesn't want to tell her or her "friends" about his well-kept secret. He doesn't feel comfortable telling her about his secret. He doesn't trust her that much. He shook his head and frowned. He then said, "I'm sorry, Amy, but that's a private matter that I don't want to discuss with you. I appreciate your concern however".

"Oh...okay," Amy muttered quietly as she looked down with her hands folded.

Some silence came over them. "Well? Is that all?" Knuckles asked after the short silence.

Amy sighed as she answered, "Yes. I'll just leave now. Have a good day, Knuckles. Enjoy the rest of your birthday". She walked away after that. Knuckles shook his head and went back on his journey to his home, Angel Island.

After thirty minutes of walking, Knuckles finally got back to his island. He went to his little wooden shack to drop off his presents and sweets. He opened the door to his shack. He walked over from the small living room to the small adjacent kitchen. There was a counter, a small fridge, a little round table, and a sink. He opened the door to his fridge and put the sweets in there for safekeeping. He then put the bag of presents onto his brown couch. He soon sat down on it and leaned back with his arms crossed. There was a brown table before him with a small t.v. at the back. Behind the living room, there is a bed at the back. He only sleeps in his bed during the winter and sometimes when there's bad weather like rainstorms. The reason that he wanted to stay in his shack more often was because he thought that he could still watch the Master Emerald while being inside. There was a window that gives a clear view of outside and where the Master Emerald is in the distance. So, that's why he feels comfortable being inside his shack. The television he has was from Sonic and Tails. They said that he is missing out on getting in tune with pop culture, and that he should buy some video games so that he and his "friends" could play with him sometime. Of coarse, Knuckles didn't watch any television programs or movies since he got it. He didn't even buy any video games. He says that they are a waste of time. He doesn't have any time to play games or to watch t.v. He didn't have any reason to, and he doesn't think that there will be a day to do any of that.

_What's the point of giving me a t.v. if I don't have a need for it? I'm not going to spend any time with it or with anybody for that matter. If the day has come when I __**want**__ to watch t.v. or play video games with someone, then I've got to pinch myself to test if I'm dreaming or not because it is ludicrous to think that it would become my reality._ Knuckles pondered as he had his eyes closed.

He decided to rest for a bit as he got comfortable on the couch. He still had his eyes closed and his arms crossed. He put one leg over the other and just rested. _Now,__** this**__ is how you relax._ Knuckles thought as he rested for a bit. Before he could take his afternoon nap, the telephone rang.

**BRRRRRRIIINNNGG! BRRRRRIIIINNG!**

Knuckles eyes shot opened as he saw his telephone ringing on the table before him. It was a black telephone that Tails had built for him. It was specially made so that he could call any of his "friends" without needing a landline or wires connecting the call to the other telephones that they have. Knuckles reached for the phone and picked it up. He then said, "Hello? Who is this?".

"_Ohhhhhhh, Knuckie!_" said the caller in a sing-song voice.

Knuckles instantly groaned and face-palmed with his other hand. _Ohhhhhhh noooooo._ Knuckles brooded. He knew_ very well_ who is calling him. It's the one person that he **hates** with his entire being. Even more so than Sonic and Eggman put together. His bile rises every time this person shows up or is speaking to him. He can't stand the person that he wished that the person just would move on and never show up in his life ever again. That person was **Rouge the Bat**.

"_Happy Birthday, you Knucklehead! I just wanted to call and say-_" Rouge spoke in a silk sounding voice.

SLAM! BRING!

Knuckles didn't even let Rouge finish talking as he slammed the phone right back down onto the receiver. He was fuming with rage again. His eyebrows were furrowed deeply and had the biggest scowl on his face. He took a few breaths before picked up the phone and made his call to a certain person.

As the phone rings, his face was now relaxed and calm as he finally made up his mind. The phone made its final ring as the caller picked up the call.

"_Hello? Who is it?_" the caller asked tentatively.

"Alright. I'm in...Amy," Knuckles replied calmly while closing his eyes.

"_Yay!_" Amy squealed over the phone.

Their fake relationship had just started.

**Poor Knuckles couldn't catch a break, could he? Well, here it is. My Valentine's Day themed short story. Although I will say right now that this is technically not a romance story because no one is getting together at the end. This is more of a friendship story. Well, it's more of a friendship, humor, drama, and angst kind of story. You could definitely see the drama in the first chapter already. I wasn't sure what genres I should place it in, but I think friendship and humor are the predominate ones, although there will be drama here and there as well as some angst in some chapters. A bit of spoilers but there will be chapter dedicated to angst since it is a flashback chapter containing Knuckles' relationship with Rouge. Hopefully, you guys will enjoy this while my current story Blaze the Cat: Monster Outbreak takes a bit of a break. Please R&R if you enjoy this!**

**A/N About the part where Sonic mentioned about him and his friends going to space while playing a board game. Well, that is foreshadowing to a future fanfic that I will make later after Blaze the Cat: Monster Outbreak is finished. It will be a rewrite of Sonic X Season 3 but with a cursed board game to it. It will be like Jumanji( or more like its inferior spin-off Zathura) meets Sonic X. The fanfic will be called Sonic X Season 3: Shuffle Edition. Get it? Because of Sonic Shuffle? Anyway, that's my plans later in the year. Just wait patiently for that.**


	2. Chapter 2: The Fake Dating Begins

I Want To Be Alone On Valentine's Day

Part 2: The Faking Dating Begins

It was the afternoon of the next day that Knuckles walked into the café in Central City. Amy told him yesterday to meet her there to discuss their fake dating plans. He shrugged and agreed to meet her there. Amy did told Knuckles that she's worried that she's making him abandon his guardian duties. He told her that it's nothing to worry about and that he's fine with the decision he had made. He looked around the area to see where Amy is sitting. He then noticed Amy waving at him in the back of the left row of booths. He then walked over to her and sat on the seat across from her. There was a window next to them that shows the streets and buildings of Central City. Amy was holding a menu while looking at Knuckles. She said to him, "Go on and buy something, Knuckles. I'm paying. I got some money to spare".

Knuckles raised an eyebrow in surprise. He didn't expect Amy to be upfront about paying. He honestly had expected her to be coy and ask him if he got some money with him. He did get some spare rings just in case if that happens. Regardless, he nodded and grabbed his menu. He was quiet as he looked at the menu items. The café had a few customers but was fairly quiet which Knuckles was grateful of. He hates noisy places. He prefers quiet atmospheres and places. He was busy thinking about what to order until Amy had spoken up.

"So, did you think of something to eat or drink?" Amy asked with a smile.

Knuckles looked up from his menu. He placed it down and said with his head down," Just some coffee will be fine. I'm not interested in eating anything".

"Ah, okay. Anyway, let's start forming our fake dating plan!" Amy exclaimed as she put down her menu as well.

Knuckles frowned and put his hand on his cheek as he placed his elbow on the table. He pouted as Amy continued. "We've got to come up with some ideas for our dates. I'll figure out where Sonic will show up at some point each day, then we'll go to that spot, and we'll act all lovey-dovey so that Sonic will get sick of us being together. He'll cut in and ask me to hang out with him! So, do you have any ideas?" Amy said with a hopeful expression.

"I'm already sick just thinking about this terrible idea," Knuckles grumbled gloomy.

Amy frowned as she replied, "Oh, come on, Knuckles! At least try! Didn't you just agreed yesterday that you want to help me with this plan?".

_Yes, but that's because I did this just to get away from Rouge. I want her to stay away from me, and if I have to be in a fake relationship to get her to leave me alone, then that's how it's going to be! Still, I didn't think very much about this fake relationship. I hadn't planned to be very involved in this silly scheme anyway._ Knuckles brooded. Knuckles stared into Amy's eyes and said in a monotone voice, "Fine".

"So, tell me what we should we do. Where shall we go?" Amy asked with sparkling eyes and with her hands folded.

"I don't know. Maybe go to the beach at Neo Green Hill Zone or go to the Entertainment Center** (See A/N Below)** at Night Carnival Zone for some dates? Do you think Sonic will go there or at least be nearby?" Knuckles suggested half-heartedly.

"Oh! Those are such romantic spots! I do know that Sonic loves beaches! Not because of the water, obviously, but he likes sunsets and the view of the ocean! Oooh, the Entertainment Center sounds like a fun place for a fake date too! Sonic loves that place for the movie center, the arcade center, theme park center, the costume center, and oh, let's not forget the casino center downtown located in Casino Park! He could hang out near the Night Carnival or Casino Park! Maybe we could follow him just to see where he could be tomorrow or maybe sometime the day after that to see if he would hang out there or the beach! Then we can plan our date on Friday or Saturday! Oh, wait! Maybe both!" Amy exclaimed excitedly while bouncing up and down.

Knuckles raised his eyebrow in suspicion as he doubts that this plan will work. He questioned, "Uh, you do realize that we would be stalking him if we do that, right? I don't think we should do that. Sonic would suspect that we're following him if we do, and then he'll question me why I of all people had followed him with you tagging along".

"Oh, please. It'll be fine," Amy replied while waving her hand back at him. "If he asks, we'll just tell him that we're going on a stroll to our secret place for our date. He'll get curious and follow **us** instead! He can't judge us for stalking if he does it too! It's **genius**!".

"It's **stupid**," Knuckles disagreed while crossing his arms and closing his eyes in annoyance.

Amy puffed out her cheeks in irritation. "Why are you being so pessimistic?! It _will_ work! You need to look at the brighter side in this situation!" Amy argued while feeling a little frustrated.

"What brighter side? I'm going to be forced working with you in this ridiculous scheme for about a week and a half which will not work in the end. I have every right to be pessimistic here," Knuckles argued back while feeling glum.

"Geez, are you going to be such a grump during the whole thing?!" Amy asked in annoyance.

"I will, and I can," Knuckles answered while looking smug at her. He had such a smug smile on his face that irritated Amy further.

"Grrrr. Why do you always have to be this difficult?!" Amy yelled while feeling angry now.

Knuckles shrugged his shoulders at Amy while he's still crossing his arms. He smirked as he said, "Sorry. I'm just born this way".

Amy growled as she put hers hands on her face and leaned onto the table with her elbows. She groaned in frustration. If Knuckles could allow himself to laugh freely, he would do it in this instance. Instead, he leaned back in his seat with a victory smirk on his face as he closes his eyes. The waiter came to their table to break the atmosphere for a bit.

"What will you have, miss?" said an old-looking male waiter.

Amy soon looked up and opened up her menu quickly. She then turned to the waiter and answered, "I'll have some tea and a turkey sandwich".

"Ah, good. And you, sir?" said the waiter while writing the order and turning to Knuckles.

"Some coffee will be fine," Knuckles said while giving his menu to the waiter.

"I see. Thank you. Your orders will come soon," the waiter said while taking his menu and Amy's. He soon walked away and went to the kitchen.

A bit of an awkward silence followed. Amy was busy looking outside of the window while Knuckles appeared to be looking down at the table. After a few minutes, Knuckles then spoke up.

"Look, Amy. I'll be honest with you. I have no idea what I should be doing. Listen, just because I **had dated **before, that doesn't mean I know how to construct romantic dates. You came up with the plan yourself, not me. I really can't help you here. You should be the one planning out these dates, not me. If you really believe that it'll work, then the heck if I know anything about romance. You and Sonic really deserve each other for how impatient, immature, stubborn, and reckless you two can be at times. If you know how Sonic will react, then by all means do it. I'm just here for the ride," Knuckles replied calmly in a level-headed tone while looking straight at her in the eye.

Amy gasped as she put a hand over her mouth. Her eyes had gotten wide with sparkles in her irises. Knuckles looked confused by tilting his head to the side as he asked, "Uh, Amy? Are you going to be okay?".

"Okay?! You just said that me and Sonic deserve each other! Even you believe that we are perfect for each other! Not only that, but are you really allowing me to make my own dates?! Oh my gosh! Thank you so much, Knuckles! I never get to go on my own dates with Sonic! The rare times that I do, he always takes me to some unromantic ones such as running through some dangerous zones or watching scary or actions movies together! He never gave me the chance to do what I want to do! You're the best, Knuckles! It's so hard to believe that you're still single! Girls would love to have a guy like you!" Amy squealed in excitement while beaming.

Knuckles blinked his eyes as he had a clueless look on his face. His head started to sweat as his muzzle was blushing red. He wasn't sure whether to take it as a compliment or an insult. However, by the tone of Amy's voice, he figured that it was a compliment. He looked away shyly. He wasn't very good at handling compliments from a girl. "Ummm...er...thanks. Your welcome," Knuckles muttered quietly while looking at the other tables on his right.

"Aww, look at you! You're blushing! That's so cute! Hehehe!" Amy exclaimed while giggling a little.

"Aw, shut up," Knuckles replied as he crossed his arms and pouted further as he blushed harder. Yep, definitely not used to girls' compliments.

"Well, anyway, since you have no idea on how to help me, I'll be the one guiding you on how to be romantic. Just follow me lead, and you'll do fine. I'll also be the one to set up dates throughout the week. You don't have to do any planning. Just listen to my commands, and you're good," Amy said while smiling.

"Okay, that's fine with me. But please don't take me on some girly trips like the mall or make me watch sappy romantic comedies. They're just so...ugh. I'll go nuts if I went through that," Knuckles replied while looking bored.

Amy frowned in disappointment after she heard that. She looked down and muttered, "Spoilsport. Fine. We won't do that. I promise".

Knuckles sighed in relief. "Thank you for respecting my wishes. I'll try to help if I can, but I can't make any promises there," Knuckles responded while nodding.

"No problem," Amy replied as she smiled. Knuckles smiled a little as well. The waiter came back carrying coffee, tea, and a turkey sandwich on a tray. He placed their orders on the table. He put the tea and sandwich to Amy's side of the table and put the coffee to Knuckles' side of the table. He then said, "Enjoy". He then left their booth.

Amy and Knuckles took their drinks and sipped them. Amy then said, "Say, why don't we talk about something else? We are done discussing our plans this week. Is there anything on your mind?".

Knuckles put his mug down and looked at Amy with a confused look. _Oh, great. Do I have to socialize more? Sigh. Oh, well._ Knuckles brooded while frowning a little. He then replied, "Yeah, I thought that we're only here to discuss our fake dating plans, not casually conversing as friends".

"Oh, Knuckles. How could you say that? We are friends. Besides, I think that it is a good practice for us to talk normally about things before our fake dates start. Also, it's good that we get to bond a little by doing this. I do want to talk with you as a friend. I mean I spend more time talking with Tails the most out of the guy friends that I have, except for Sonic of coarse. It will be great to get to know you better, Knuckles," Amy said while smiling a little.

"Hmm, very well then. I guess it can't hurt to talk a little," Knuckles said while smiling a little and while looking calm.

Amy took it as a good sign as she exclaimed, "That's the spirit!". Amy was beaming at him. Knuckles just grinned at her as he closed his eyes and took another sip from his coffee.

-Outside the Café-

Meanwhile, Sonic was running his casual run throughout the world. He was passing through the streets of Central City. He was running on a street that is across from the café. Conveniently, that same street that Sonic was running through had a chili dog stand across from the café that Knuckles and Amy were in. He stopped in front of the stand and ordered a chili dog. As he was eating, he turned around and saw Amy and Knuckles through the café window. His eyes opened wide, and he almost choked on his chili dog when he saw that. He saw Amy and Knuckles talking together while either eating or drinking their beverages. They were smiling as they were talking. Sonic never thought that he would see Knuckles here of all places and talking with Amy casually. Yesterday, he thought that Knuckles would never agree to Amy's random idea about dating her, but here he is having a date with her at a café. He's even smiling for crying out loud!

_Is...is Knuckles enjoying himself?! How?! And why is this happening?!...Wait a minute! Why am I getting all worked up for? They're just hanging out as friends. Nothing to worry about. Huh. I guess Amy really did took my suggestion then. I suppose that she really did chose Knuckles to spend more time with as friends. Still, I wonder how Amy had convinced Knuckles to hang out together then. They couldn't possibly be going out as a...a...couple. It's...it's ridiculous! They're just friends! Nothing more!_ Sonic pondered while eating his chili dog quickly.

The sight that astounded Sonic even further was that Knuckles said something that made Amy laughed so hard that it seemed like she almost did a spit-take with her drink. Sonic frowned a bit. He then shook his head. _Argh! Get a grip, Sonic! It's just Knuckles! Amy would never move on from me and go after him just because I...had pushed her away. Hmm...oh, come on, Sonic! I needed some space, and Amy needs to spend some time to herself or hang out with her friends. That's all I had ever wanted from her. I don't miss her now since she had decided to hang out with Knuckles. I feel great! Liberated even! I'll be fine. Just fine._ Sonic pondered again while scratching his head as he frowned.

To prove his point, he smiled. He turned around and ran away. He then thought._ I should focus on getting some "me" time already. There really is no need to be standing around feeling mopey. I should stay excited and feel happy! Even feel free! Yeah! This week is going to be great!_

**You sure about that, Sonic? Well, anyways, here is the second part. Again, this will be a short story, but a fun one. I don't think that I will get these out in time on the very same day that the story takes chronologically. It might even be finished after Valentine's Day is over. Well, at least I tried. Also, I don't think that the story will be about every single day before Valentine's Day in case you are wondering. At least 8 chapters seem plausible at this point. Hope you guys enjoy this one! Please R&R if you enjoy!**

**A/N The Entertainment Center is just a name I came up for my head cannon Sonic X Universe. I think that Night Carnival Zone and Casino Park Zone are very next to each other. They are also a tourist attraction on Westside Island. They host multiple entertainment places like movie centers, arcades, theme parks, and casinos. It's like Tokyo or Las Vegas were entertainment venues are everywhere. Also, please don't correct me on what zones or landmasses are next to what because I don't think anyone knows what the official Sonic World looks like. There are so many zones and islands that not it can't be pinned down to one map design. So, there's your fun fact for the day!**


	3. Chapter 3: A Fun Spying Game

I Want To Be Alone On Valentine's Day

Part 3: A Fun Spying Game

On the next day, Knuckles was following Amy throughout Neo Green Hill Zone. Amy was searching around for Sonic. Amy told Knuckles that she had asked Tails where Sonic might be at for today. Tails told her that he would be at Neo Green Hill Zone to spend time at the beach. She also asked him if Sonic is going to go there at either Friday or Saturday. Tails just shrugged and said that he doesn't know. So that's why Amy had asked Knuckles to meet her at Neo Green Hill Zone to go look for Sonic. Knuckles still questions the point in this, but he gave up and said nothing about it. They were looking around for about an hour until Knuckles had spoken up.

"Don't you think that it's about time to stop? We've been looking for Sonic for about an hour, and we haven't even seen him yet! He probably doesn't want to come to the beach today or during the week!" Knuckles complained.

Amy turned around while feeling annoyed. "Oh, quiet you! I know that Sonic is here! I sense him with my heart! He is just somewhere around this beach, and I know that he is interested into coming here later! What else would he come here on the weekend?!" Amy yelled back.

"I don't know! Maybe he had to come here since Dr. Eggman is building a base or something! Also, how the heck do you sense Sonic with your heart? Don't tell me that you have a radar similar to my emerald radar, do you?!" Knuckles yelled back while feeling irritated.

"_Nooooooo_," Amy replied while her eyes shifted to the side.

BING! BING! BING! BING! BING!

Amy gasped and said, "Ack! My Sonic tracker is beeping at something! He must be closer than I thought!".

She quickly got her tracker out of her pocket and looked deeply into it. Knuckles really doesn't want to know how Amy planted a tracking device onto Sonic. Knuckles face-palmed and shook his head. _I knew it. She really is a stalker._ Knuckles brooded while frowning.

Amy then put away her tracker and hastily grabbed Knuckles' hand forward. "Come on! Sonic's this way!" Amy exclaimed while tugging Knuckles along._ Why is she treating this as if we're going to an amusement park? _Knuckles pondered while having a sweat drop on his forehead.

They ran through the long beach until they found Sonic lying on top of a rock watching the ocean. He had his arms behind his head and one leg over the other in this lying position. Amy soon stopped dragging Knuckles and ran into the small forest on the right. Knuckles felt confused by this action and followed her into the forest as well. Amy ran until she found a comfortable place to hide behind. She was behind a tree with some bushes around the tree. She could still see Sonic over the bushes. She soon took out her binoculars and went behind the tree to watch Sonic. Knuckles soon caught up to her while huffing and puffing. He almost fell over once he saw what Amy was doing. He tried to speak to her.

"Are you crazy!? Sonic will totally see us if we-" Knuckles yelled before he was interrupted by Amy.

"Shush!" Amy shushed Knuckles by turning around and putting a finger over her mouth.

Knuckles raised an eyebrow at her. He opened his mouth, but Amy spoke again. "Shush! Be quiet! Sonic is sleeping! We can't disturb him!" Amy said while in a harsh, quieter tone.

"_Okay, fine. Geez!_" Knuckles whispered while crossing his arms and looking away. _Is this what it's like for humans to go to a zoo? Watching animals sleep?_ Knuckles thought sarcastically. He sighed and walked closer to Amy. He stood behind her and watched Sonic as well. He closed his eyes and sighed again. _This is stupid._ Knuckles brooded while waiting patiently for something to happen. However, he kind of wished that nothing would happen once he heard that insufferable, sultry voice.

"Aww, am I seeing Knuckie going on a date with Pinky?" Rouge teased as made herself aware by jumping off a tree behind them. Amy and Knuckles gasped and turned around quickly to see Rouge standing behind them with a smug look on her face.

Knuckles face immediately turned red not only from embarrassment but also from anger. He growled and put up his fists while scowling at her. Amy blushed and covered her face with her hands. Rouge just smiled playfully while having her hands on her hips. She teased them further by saying, "Ah, love-birds do all sorts of crazy things together, wouldn't you say?".

"Oh, shut up, Rouge! I don't have the time to be talking to you anyway! Why don't you go bother Shadow for a while?!" Knuckles yelled as he completely forgot about being quiet. Who cares if Sonic woke up because of this? At least Knuckles could blame someone for acting this way.

"Don't have time to be talking with me, you say? So, does that mean you **do** **have** time to talk to me then?" Rouge continued to tease while reveling at Knuckles' embarrassment.

"GRRRRR!" Knuckles growled fiercely while feeling furious. He felt a vein popping at the moment. _Rouge, I hate you! I hate you so much right now!_ Knuckles brooded as he felt his anger rising.

Amy, seeing that Knuckles needed some help even if he doesn't admit it, decided to talk for him. "Listen Rouge, we're just hanging out. There is nothing between us. You do realize that I'm still in love with Sonic, right? I would never really give up on Sonic and go out with his oldest rival," Amy clarified, trying to calm the situation down.

Rouge just laughed at this. Knuckles, feeling more irritated now, had yelled, "What's so funny?!".

"Oh, nothing, Knuckie! It's just that now I feel bad for knowing that you have to recover from** that** wicked burn! Don't feel so bad, Knuckie! I could kiss you to make you feel better about yourself!" Rouge exclaimed teasingly while chuckling a bit.

Knuckles took a few seconds to get what Rouge was saying. When he did understood the implications of Rouge's words, he blushed even more. He growled even louder as his face turned livid. _OH, YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME! _Knuckles brooded angrily. He felt like he could kill Rouge right then and there, and he wouldn't feel any remorse from it.

Rouge continued talking at Knuckles' expense. "Okay, guys. I guess that I should leave you two alone together. I suppose that you're right, Amy. You can't move on from Blue Boy anytime soon to go after Knucklehead there. Besides, I don't think you're his type. After all, he's only into girls who are mysterious and could challenge him to a fight like yours truly. You're too bubbly and peppy for his tastes. He likes someone who is mature and understanding like me again. I don't think that he'll be into someone who is needy like you. He would rather have someone is independent and could take care of herself such as myself. So, anyways, have fun, you two! Oh, and Knuckie?" Rouge said in a cool tone.

"_What?!_" Knuckles replied through gritted teeth.

"Hi!" Rouge said cheerfully while wearing an innocent look on her face.

"**HIIIIIIII?!**" Knuckles shouted in anger. His head just exploded in fury.

"Huh? What was that?" Sonic said in the distance.

Amy and Knuckles felt sweat drops over their heads as they realized that they might have woken Sonic up. Although it was Knuckles' fault that Sonic woke up actually. Rouge just smirked as she said, "Well then, it looks like my cue to leave. See you later, Knucklehead! It was nice talking to you again. I guess that you did have time to talk with me after all!".

Knuckles just moaned as he covered his face in his hands in frustration. The lengths that Rouge goes to toy with him is just astounding at this point. Amy felt kind of bad for Knuckles. She knows that he didn't do anything to deserve this torment. She cautiously placed a hand over his shoulder to comfort him. Rouge then turned around and gave a mock salute to Amy before she flied back up into the sky. Amy watched her go while comforting Knuckles a little. She rubbed his shoulder and a bit of his arm to show that she cares. Knuckles took some breaths to calm down as he rubbed his face. He could feel a migraine coming on. Amy tried to console him.

"Hang in there, Knuckles. It was quite annoying, but you came through. Besides, I don't think that Sonic had noticed us yet," Amy said with a small, sad smile.

"Au contraire, Amy. I had already noticed. I just heard Knuckles shouting earlier! Boy, what had set you off, buddy?" Sonic responded as he quickly arrived by running and stopping in front of them in a blink of an eye. He smiled and winked at Knuckles as a way to tease him. Knuckles simply groaned and placed a hand over his head this time. His migraine had just settled.

"So, what have you two been doing today?" Sonic asked cheerfully while flashing a smile at the two of them.

Amy felt her heart melt at the sight of that gorgeous smile. Knuckles felt like throwing up at the sight of that incorrigible smile. Knuckles decided to answer him in a monotone voice.

"Look, we're just on a walk. We just so happen to take a break here," Knuckles lied while having a stoic expression on his face. He did what Amy had told him to say whenever Sonic asks. Amy seemed eager to talk as well.

She also said to him, "Yeah! We're just hanging out as girlfriend and boyfriend! We were just taking a stroll out here to think if we should make a date here! Turns out, we had decided that we'll come here at Friday at 6 PM! We want to catch the sunset here!".

Knuckles turned to look at Amy with wide eyes. He did say that he allows her to make all the planning for the fake dates, but since she just said it right away, it made him feel nervous all of a sudden. He was about to object before Amy turned to glare at him as a signal to go along with it. Knuckles gulped and turned to Sonic which to his surprise looked shell-shocked. Knuckles blinked a few times to see if he is seeing this correctly. A few seconds of silence later, Knuckles smirked and decided to toy with Sonic for a little while.

"Yes, you heard that right, Sonic. I am taking this lovely lady to the beach this Friday night. We really are a couple now, and I think that it's right to treat Amy as my loving partner that she deserves to be. What's the matter, Sonic? Feeling jealous?" Knuckles said while having a smug smile and crossed arms.

Sonic blanched at Knuckles statement and walked back a few feet. Amy raised her eyebrows at Knuckles' statement as well but for a different reason. _Wow, I never thought that I would ever get to be called a "lovely lady" or a "loving partner" before. Man, Knuckles really can be chivalrous at times. Who knew?_ Amy thought while having sparkling eyes.

"Y-Y-You can't be serious! You can't be dating Amy! Th-this is a prank, isn't it?! Yeah! That's it! Why would be dating Amy anyway?!" Sonic said while shaking his head in denial.

Knuckles decided to mess with Sonic further by holding Amy closer to him with his right arm. He held her to his right side and hugged her a little. Sonic's jaw just dropped in shock. Amy felt surprised by this action and blushed. She unconsciously wrapped her arms around Knuckles' waist as she was being held tightly. For a brief moment, she liked the feeling in Knuckles' arms. Knuckles decided to make the final move in his "taunting spree" by resting his head on top of Amy's. Sonic felt like his stomach got punched as he watched this. Knuckles then answered Sonic's question smugly.

"I'm dating her because she needs attention. So, like a good friend that I am with lots of time to spare, I decided to take up Amy's offer. She sounded very lonely because her long-time crush wouldn't spend any time with her. He would rather spend more of his free time to himself than with those he cared about. I really just filling the hole that Amy is feeling at the moment. I know what it's like being ignored, and I want to remedy the hurt that you had caused to her two days ago. So, it's only natural that I would want to date her. I like her company...**unlike a certain blue hedgehog**," Knuckles teased while rubbing Amy's arm. Sonic felt stunned by Knuckles' words. This the second time this week that Knuckles had managed to make him speechless. Knuckles is having the time of his life taunting Sonic. It's been a long time ever since he was able to do that to this degree. Amy was just silent while watching Sonic trying to form words to his mouth but failing to do so.

"I...I...just...why do you...I should..." Sonic muttered quietly while having a confused look on his face. _I'm...I'm not jealous, am I? I don't miss Amy...do I?_ Sonic pondered while looking at Amy.

"Hmm? Got nothing to say, Sonic? Well, if you excuse us, we'll be going back on our walk now. We are definitely coming back here for our date on Friday. I'm also thinking that we're going to go on a second date on Saturday at noon because we're going to go to the Entertainment Center at Night Carnival. I'm pretty sure that we'll have a lot of fun there. Right, Amy?" Knuckles replied coolly as he looks at Amy.

"Oh! Uh, um, yeah! That's right! I c-can't wait! I'm so excited!" Amy exclaimed as she realized that Knuckles had addressed her.

Sonic just gaped at this. His mind had gone blank. His two friends are going to go on two dates this week. Two dates! In a strange way, he felt curious on how those dates will go. _What? Why am I thinking about this? I'm not thinking about spying on them on their dates, right? Ugh! Knuckles is driving me crazy with his romantic attitude! I really should go!_ Sonic thought as felt like panicking.

"Uh, okay, then. I should probably go now. Um, have fun on your...dates guys," Sonic said while rubbing his arm uncomfortably. Before Amy could speak up, Sonic immediately dashed out of the situation. Amy can't help but feel bad for Sonic. _He must be feeling lonely now that I'm spending more time with Knuckles lately. But hey, maybe the plan is working?_ Amy thought while feeling concerned as she watched Sonic ran to her left.

Knuckles let go of Amy and walked a bit ahead. He soon crossed his arms and snickered a little. _Okay, __**that**__ was so worth it after what he said to me on my birthday! I can't believe that he actually bought it! I guess that I'm not the only one who's so easily tricked! Heheheh. _Knuckles thought as he snickered. Amy then spoke up to break his thoughts.

"Man, Knuckles, that was kind of mean. I get that we're supposed to make Sonic believe that we're a couple, but do you have to say such cruel things?" Amy said while looking a little sad.

Knuckles looked back while smirking. "Yes. He deserved it after what he said to the both of us. He needs to learn to respect his friends' wishes more often. I'm just saying the truth, and sometimes the truth hurts, even if it's cruel. Besides, I think that Sonic got the picture now like you had wanted to. He thinks that we're a couple now. We might as well go on those dates this weekend if we're going to keep the charade up. You in?" Knuckles answered with a glint of mischief in his eyes.

Amy frowned at first, but then smiled as she agreed to those planned dates. "Alright! I'm in! This might be fun! I might get Cream to go with me to the mall tomorrow to buy some dresses for our 'date' on Friday!" Amy answered while beaming.

"Is buying new clothes to a fake date really necessary?" Knuckles replied while frowning a little and quirking an eyebrow.

"Yes! You have to dress nicely to any special occasion, including fake dates!" Amy exclaimed happily.

Knuckles sighed and shook his head. _I could never understand girls._ Knuckles brooded. He gave a half smile at Amy as he said, "Fine. Whatever suits you. Now, do you want to go home or want to continue our walk for a while?".

Amy looked confused as she said, "But Knuckles, we only came here to spy on Sonic. Why do we need to-".

Knuckled cleared his throat and leaned his arm in a gentlemanly way. "I said. Do you want to go home or want to continue our walk for a while?" Knuckles asked again more slowly.

Amy's eyes had widened in surprise at this. She never saw this side of Knuckles before. She never knew that he could be such a gentleman at times. She can't help but smile on how cute that is. She then nodded her head and grabbed Knuckles' arm. They soon walked throughout the small forest of Neo Green Hill Zone and across the boardwalk. It was a pleasant walk. They were quiet the entire way, but the silence was comfortable. As they were walking, Knuckles had one thought on his mind.

_You know what? This is going to be the most fun that I ever had!_ Knuckles thought brightly as he can't wait for what comes next.

**Good job, Knuckles! You had royally screwed Sonic over by that amazing performance! Now, he will definitely spy on you and Amy! Well, here's another chapter done! Hope you can R&R if you had enjoyed it.**


	4. Chapter 4: Beach Time!

I Want To Be Alone On Valentine's Day

Part 4: Beach Time!

It was Friday at 5: 55 PM. Knuckles was waiting outside the entrance of Neo Green Hill Zone. He had his eyes closed and his arms crossed as he waited patiently for Amy to show up. He doesn't doubt that Amy would stand him up after the date that she did plan on the fly when she was talking to Sonic. He knew that she would come. He did hear from her yesterday on the phone that she got prepared for their date. She asked him if she could bring a bag of clothes with her just in case they want to swim in the ocean. He said that he didn't mind, and he had said to her to bring some towels if she does want to swim. She sounded excited about that, and Knuckles can't help but smile at that. So, now he is waiting for her at the boardwalk. He soon heard her voice a few minutes later.

"Hey there, Knuckles! I'm here!" Amy exclaimed while running to him with her bag.

Knuckles opened his eyes and turned around to see Amy. He saw that Amy did dress up for the occasion. Her outfit was still casual but cute looking. She wore a white blouse with some pink flowers decorated on it. A black skirt that goes down to her knees. Lastly, some red sandals with a flower on each of them. He was mildly impressed that Amy looked good in it. So, he decided to compliment her on it.

"Wow. You dress nice, Amy. You look pretty wearing that," Knuckles said while giving small smile and a head nod.

"Aw, thanks, Knuckles! For out of all the clothes to choose from, this one was perfect since we're going into this date casual! I still wanted to look nice for the occasion you know! I think that you deserve having a good date. So, that's why I'm treating this very seriously!" Amy replied while feeling enthusiastic.

Knuckles shook his head and face-palmed himself but out of good-humor. He replied back while still smiling, "I still think that it's too ridiculous to put much work into a fake date. You could have just come here in your usual red dress, and I wouldn't have mind it. I guess that girls think differently than me".

"Isn't that the truth! Hehehehe! But hey, it's fine if you think that way. I can't convince you otherwise since you're so stubborn like that," Amy responded cordially.

"Says the girl who went through all the trouble to wear an outfit for one date just to prove her point that she's right. Yeah, **I'm** the stubborn one," Knuckles replied teasingly while shrugging his shoulders and smiling.

Amy smiled back just as much as Knuckles. They soon laughed together. Amy then said, "Hey, let's go to the beach already! I can't wait to make sandcastles and swim in the ocean!".

She then ran past Knuckles to go to the white beach at the end of the boardwalk. Knuckles eyes went wide as she ran past him. He turned his head around and yelled, "Hey! Wait up!".

"What are doing standing around for?! Just follow me!" Amy yelled back while looking back at Knuckles.

Knuckles just shrugged and ran towards Amy. Amy was still running while deciding where to put her stuff on the beach. There was one small umbrella with two white lawn chairs that was left in the middle of the beach. She decided that she and Knuckles could borrow that spot for their date. She ran there and placed her bag on the lawn chair. Knuckles then caught up to Amy and said, "Are you sure that it's okay for us to borrow this?".

"Hey, no one's here on this beach, so, no one will complain. As long as they're taken care of, no one will suspect a thing!" Amy answered cheerfully.

"Well, okay then. What do you want to do first? Take a walk on the beach? Make sandcastles? Or go for a swim?" Knuckles suggested while being respectful to Amy.

Amy put her finger under her chin as she thought. She then made her decision. "Let's make sandcastles first! Then we go swimming! And lastly, we could take a walk on the beach! How's that?" Amy said as she listed off her decisions.

Knuckles nodded as he said, "Sounds good to me. No objections here. If you want something, don't be afraid to ask. I'm sure at some point that you will want something to eat. It is around dinner time, after all".

"Okay! Sure! We can do that! Hehe, you really do act like a gentleman even when you're not aware of it! It's cute! Hehehehehehe!" Amy replied while giggling a little.

Knuckles blushed as he looked away as he felt flustered. He couldn't help it if he acts like a gentleman at times. It just comes naturally to him whenever he respects a girl. The only time when he's not a gentleman is if he doesn't respect a girl such as Rouge for example. With Amy, however, it could go either way considering how she acts.

"Well, we're not going to stand around all day! Come on! Let's go build some sandcastles already!" Amy exclaimed brightly as she went a few feet ahead from Knuckles and knelt down onto the sand. Knuckles then shrugged again and went to her. He knelt down next to Amy and watched her start making her sandcastle or something of the like. Amy was trying her best to bring some sand dunes together to make a wall. She turned her head and noticed that Knuckles was not doing anything but stare at her. Feeling a little confused, Amy asked him, "Hey, why aren't you trying to build sandcastles for yourself or with me? There's nothing wrong trying to build one".

"Hmmm, well, it's just that you were the one who wanted to do it. I don't have any desire to build sandcastles. If you want to have fun, then it's fine by me. I'll just sit here and watch," Knuckles replied while looking away from Amy with his arms crossed.

"Huh? You just want to watch me build sandcastles and not do it yourself? That's a rather strange thing to do. You could play with me if you want. I won't judge you for it," Amy suggested while looking a little concerned for Knuckles.

"Nggggh!...I'm not a child, Amy. I'm not supposed to play at my age now. I must be the responsible one here," Knuckles responded as he denies Amy's suggestion.

Amy's eyes drooped down as she heard that statement. She replied sadly, "Oh, Knuckles. Don't say that. You're still young enough that you can do these sorts of activities at your own time. It's not like once you're a grown up that you have to stop having fun. Here. Try building a sandcastle with this". She dug up some sand and put it near Knuckles' knees.

Knuckles looked down at the pile of sand. He stared at it as he grimaced. He doesn't want to admit it, but sometimes he wished that he could be comfortable with himself that he could afford to be childish and do activities that children would do. The very things that children take for granted. However, as a Guardian of the Master Emerald, he has no time to indulge in such activities even when he's away from the emerald. It's just a part of his identity, and he must live up to that role as a guardian. So, sometimes he must sacrifice childish activities and games so that he could reflect his serious character as a guardian. He doesn't trust others enough to allow him to be himself and act as a child without being made fun of. Knuckles gritted his teeth in frustration. He hates his own guardian title and persona. Why can't he be himself without his so called "friends" mocking him? They get to live their own lives, get invested in their hobbies, go around the world to take vacations or adventures, and they all still get respected by what they do. Does Knuckles get that kind of luxury? No. No, he does not. They still make fun of him even when he is living up to his expectations as a guardian. It's another reason why he isn't close to his "friends". Also, it's another reason why he secretly hates them. The fact that Amy had suggested him to have fun is insulting in his mind.

Instead, he bit his month to avoid speaking about his true thoughts to Amy. He responded while closing his eyes, "Amy, I'm a guardian. A guardian to one of the most powerful gems on this planet. To try to get my mind off of it, it is not something that I could afford to do. I'm sorry, but I can't play with you like this. I just don't have any reason or desire to do something like that".

Amy frowned in sadness at his reply. She wished that she could do something to convince Knuckles to at least try a little. She then felt stubborn and quickly grabbed Knuckles' wrists to move them onto the sand. Knuckles' eyes snapped open as he felt his arms being pulled away from his body. He then exclaimed in shock, "H-Hey! What are you doing?!".

"If you're not going to try playing yourself, then I'm going to help you! I didn't want to force you to do this, but you leave me without any other choice!" Amy exclaimed in determination as she moved Knuckles' wrists so that his hands are moving the sand.

Knuckles felt confused then annoyed. He fought against Amy as he tugged his arms back from Amy's grip. Amy tried to pull his wrists forward. They tugged back and forth while they are feeling frustrated with each other. Knuckles then yelled out in frustration, "Amy! Stop it! This is ridiculous! I said that I don't want to play! Now, quit it!".

"No! You have to at least try! What do you got to lose if you do this?!" Amy yelled back in frustration.

"My dignity," Knuckles answered while rolling his eyes.

"Oh, give your stupid pride a break will you! It's not even that bad! Why even 16 ½ year old teenagers can still play in the sand and build sandcastles! They are not ashamed in doing it! So, why are you?!" Amy yelled back in annoyance.

"I have full reason to—Hey, wait a minute! What do you mean 16 ½ years old? I'm 17 years old now. I had my birthday not too long ago. Remember?" Knuckles replied in confusion and in doubt.

"Oh, Knuckles. Didn't Tails told you already that after Sonic had saved us from the Time Eater that we had stopped aging? We can't age now since then. So, even when each of our birthdays come around, we will still be the same age and a half like Sonic is since he's 15 ½. That Time Eater basically took away his year and made him and us permanently young. So, that's why you're 16 ½. Therefore, I think that this _is_ a good reason to at least try and play in the sand," Amy exclaimed with a smile.

Knuckles blinked for a bit then shook his head. He still doesn't understand why that is the case for them, but he still didn't care. He **knows** that he's a grown-up and should behave like one regardless if he's considered to be young or not.

"Look, let go of me already! I'm not going to enjoy this! Just play on your own! I can just watch you enjoy yourself and still be satisfied!" Knuckles exclaimed while pulling his arms away.

Amy kept holding onto his wrists and pouted. She tried to keep pulling him to the sand, but he still kept on struggling. She then sighed and finally let go of him. "Alright, have it your way. I'll just play by myself," Amy said in a depressed tone. She scooted a few inches away from Knuckles to give him some space. Knuckles rubbed his wrists after they were being yanked for a few minutes. Amy went back making her sandcastle and digging up some sand too. Knuckles looked back at her. He could see that Amy was trying to enjoy herself by having a little smile while she played. Knuckles' eyelids went down halfway in sadness. He can't help but feel guilty for not allowing her to help him enjoy himself. He knows that Amy had meant well, but there is still a part of him that hates her sadly. He didn't mean to hurt her. He just couldn't look past the hurt that Amy is doing to him by taunting him as she gets to be herself while he can't. She could try to force him to do silly, childish things, but it wouldn't come from his heart. His wrists may not have been hurt, but his heart did get wounded.

He took a quiet sigh. He continued to watch her have fun. It was a few minutes of silence that went by as Amy built her sandcastle and other sand sculptures like it. Amy looked like that she is feeling better as the minutes flew by. She had a content smile on her face and was humming to herself. Knuckles wondered if he should apologize to Amy for being rude to her on this fake date. He kept staring at her while having a depressed look on his face. He was lost in thought as he watched Amy.

_Amy is looking quite content right about now. She does seem happy doing this childish activity. Hmmmm...it's strange. The more I watch her, the more I feel like this isn't right. I'm not talking about the whole fake dating thing. I'm talking about...this strange sensation that I'm feeling. It's almost like an epiphany or something. It's like as if you're trying to fit a puzzle piece into a place that doesn't fit. Amy is that puzzle piece that doesn't fit. And it's definitely not Rouge either. **Someone** is supposed to be there but somehow isn't. It's just like fate as it is withholding that final puzzle piece until the last moment. **That someone** should be the one playing in the sand while having such a joyful smile on their face because that's who they are. **Someone** who is childish yet mature at the same time. It's definitely a paradox for sure, but somehow, I wouldn't mind it if that's the case. After all, it would give me such a peace that I haven't experienced before. A calmness...a serenity that could soothe my empty and ruptured heart. Why? Why isn't **that** person here yet?_ Knuckles pondered as he grimaced.

He shook his head as he brooded again. _Urgh! Just stop it, Knuckles! There is no one like that! There is no girl on in this planet or dimension who is like that! Besides, even if there was, they wouldn't have given me a second thought! I'm an outcast! Even Tails eventually got accepted by society after helping Sonic on his adventures! I don't get any special treatment, and even I had helped Sonic in the past! I don't even think that there is a girl who is interested in a boring guy who only cares about the Master Emerald and nothing else! Why would anyone want to spend time with a boring, extremely serious person like me?! There are plenty of guys who are more fun and interesting like Sonic for example!...I'm just a __**monster**__ to these girls. Even Amy must think that I'm a monster too. I wouldn't be surprised if I am intimidating to her. It's probably for that reason that she likes Sonic more. He's not threatening at all! But I am. Sigh. Why do I bother thinking on what type of girl that I want when there is no girl who'll be interested in me? __**Ever**__._

"Hey...Knuckles? Are you going to be alright?" Amy spoke up as she laid a hand on top of Knuckles' shoulder.

Knuckles flinched as he looked back at Amy. He seemed to have spaced out as he was thinking such depressing thoughts. He then said, "Oh, um, I think so. Why do you ask?".

"You seem out of it again. You seem rather sad as well. Is something wrong, Knuckles?" Amy asked in concern.

"Ummm...well, no, it's fine. I was just thinking a lot of things. It's nothing. Don't worry about me," Knuckles denied by shaking his head "no".

"Are you sure that you don't want to talk about it?" Amy asked again out of worry.

"No, it's okay. Thanks for your concern," Knuckles replied politely.

"Hmm, if that's how you feel, then I won't push you to say it," Amy responded with a sympathetic look.

"Thank you, Amy. Oh, uh, by the way, I...uh...want to...um...apologize to you. I haven't been very interactive with you so far in this fake date. I keep pushing you away and not giving you much attention. I know that you want me to be more involved in your interests, and I wasn't very supportive of that. It's not your fault. It's mine. I'm...I'm sorry. I'll try to give all my attention on you for the rest of the date," Knuckles apologized while he looked down in embarrassment.

Amy's eyes had widened in surprise at that. She didn't know that Knuckles felt that guilty for ignoring her. She then gave a gentle smile at him as she said, "Knuckles, I forgive you. It's alright. I understand now. You're just not used to doing activities like this. So, you don't know what to do. It's fine. You do things differently than I do , and that's alright. But hey, the date's not over yet! You can have a second chance by playing with me in the ocean over there! We can go swimming together! Of coarse, if you want to join me that is".

Knuckles smiled gently back as well. He then replied, "No, I'll come with you this time. I think that you deserve it after how I had treated you before".

"Hey, I already said that I forgive you! But thanks for being considerate, Knuckles. Anyways, you should stay here while I go change into my swimsuit. Then, we'll go swimming," Amy responded while smiling broadly.

"Alright. You'll go change. I'll wait for you," Knuckles agreed as he nodded and gave a small smile to her. Amy soon got up and brushed off the sand from her legs. Knuckles got up and brushed off the sand from his legs as well. Amy went to get her bag and ran to the nearest changing room.

Knuckles went to sit on one of the lawn chairs as he waits for Amy to get back. It was 5 minutes later that Amy got back wearing her cute, red two-piece swimsuit. Knuckles was staring at the ocean when Amy got back. Amy placed her bag on top of the other lawn chair and said to Knuckles, "Are you ready to swim? I have towels in my bag you know!".

Knuckles looked back at Amy as he stood up from his chair. He was about to say something until he notices the swimsuit. This was his first time seeing Amy in a swimsuit. As a way to be considerate, Knuckles looked up at Amy's face instead and replied, "Ah, yes, I am ready. Lead the way".

"Hehe, hey, Knuckles. Do you like my swimsuit too?" Amy said in a sweet voice. Knuckles blushed as he panicked. He was staring at Amy's swimsuit again unintentionally. _Dang it! I thought that I was looking away! How did that happen?!_ Knuckles thought as he berated himself for being slightly perverted. Knuckles turned his entire body away from Amy as he continued to blush. He crossed his arms as he tried to come up with an answer to that question. Amy felt confused and a little concerned as she saw Knuckles shaking a little.

She reached to him and placed her hand on top of his shoulder. She then said with a worried expression, "Uh, Knuckles? Are you ok-".

"YOU'RE VERY BEAUTIFUL!" Knuckles shouted out of uncontrolled nervousness. He was blushing furiously after he shouted that as he finally realized what he had just said. _NGGGGGHH! WHY?! WHY?! WHY?! WHY?! WHY?! WHY DID I SAY THAT?! THAT WAS JUST THE STUPIDEST THING THAT I HAD EVER SAID! JUST WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?! WHY DO I HAVE TO BE SO SHY AROUND GIRLS?! IT'S LIKE A CUSRE OR SOMETHING! _Knuckles brooded intensely as he blushed in humiliation.

Amy immediately let go of her hand off of Knuckles as she blushed as well. She then looked away while feeling awkward. She was rubbing her arm as she stared at the ocean. She soon frowned. _What just happened there? It was just a simple question. He did compliment my outfit before. Why did he had a hard time doing it this time? Still, that was unexpected. Does he honestly think I'm beautiful in this swimsuit? Hmm...nope, this just getting weird now. If I wasn't in love with Sonic, my heart probably would've melted if Knuckles had confessed that to me. It was kind of adorable that he couldn't say that while facing me. He probably feels more embarrassed than I am right now. I should probably give him a hug. He is having a hard time during this date so far. He deserves it._ Amy pondered as she watched the waves go back and forth on the beach. Amy smiled as she turned around. Knuckles was still standing there with his back facing her.

Knuckles was still berating himself in his mind._ Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Is it any wonder that Sonic still teases me for being a knucklehead?! I'm an idiot for crying out loud! I'm just stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Stu-!_

Suddenly, Knuckles felt Amy's arms wrapping around him. Amy was hugging Knuckles from behind. She was hugging his arms and chest as she put her head on his shoulder. Knuckles snapped his eyes open wide as he felt the hug. His mouth was open agape, and his mind went blank. The hug felt very warm to Knuckles. His heart was pumping fast as he felt nervous yet a bit at ease. He took a few breaths to calm himself down. Amy then said quietly, "It's okay, Knuckles. You don't need to feel embarrassed. I understand how you feel. Why not we just forget about it?".

Knuckles blinked as he listened to Amy. He had to admit that it was pretty kind of her to brush off that comment and give him a hug. He had tough time on this date. He really doesn't know how to behave during a date. He was grateful that Amy was merciful today because he wouldn't know how to react if Amy got mad or continued to be persistent in this line of reasoning. He then had a small smile on his face as his eyelids went down halfway. He then muttered, "Thank you, Amy. I would appreciate that very much".

Amy smiled as she gave one final squeeze before she let go of him. Knuckles turned around and smiled at her. Amy smiled back as she put her hands behind her back. She then said, "Hey, let's go cool off in the ocean already. What do you say?".

He nodded and said, "Yeah, I think that's a good idea".

With that, they both walked to the ocean. Amy then took off her sandals near the ocean and ran in to swim in it. She was swimming happily. Knuckles went into the ocean and swam as well. Knuckles didn't bother taking off his gloves, socks, and shoes because he's used to go underwater in them anyway. He's also not very close to Amy, so, he feels uncomfortable about showing his hands and feet to her. He would take them off only if he feels secure and intimate with someone he trusts completely. It's a way to express that he feels safe being vulnerable to someone.

They were starting to enjoy themselves swimming in the water. Amy decided to splash some water at Knuckles. He smiled as he retaliated Amy's attack with his own. Amy laughed as she was getting dowsed with more water. They kept on with this small water fight as they splashed and swam away from each other. They were laughing as they kept attacking playfully.

As they were busy swimming in the ocean, they haven't realized that they were being watched by Sonic. Sonic had been watching them the entire time as he hid in the bushes within the forest. He saw them playing in the sand, he saw them having a moment where Knuckles admitted that Amy is beautiful and where Amy hugged him, and now he's watching them having fun, playing in the ocean. He was frowning as he had his arms crossed. He had wondered how their date will go. He hoped that it would go horrible so that he wouldn't worry about Amy moving on from him. But as of right now, he wasn't so sure about that happening. He still didn't want Amy to be his girlfriend, but he still wants her to be his best friend besides Tails. After a few days of Amy not chasing him, Sonic realized how boring the day was without someone chasing him. Sure, he did hang out with Tails, but there wasn't anything to do besides going on rides on the Tornado or playing video games with him. Another fact is that Eggman hadn't made any plans to attack Sonic lately. So, days had been rather boring and slow lately. He hates being bored. He also hates slowness in general. He then began to realize how lonely and empty he is without Amy chasing him. He soon realizes that Amy did that out of fun, not intentionally being annoying or anything. She's just being a kid and wanted to have fun in her own way. He could respect that considering how much he had emphasized having fun during his adventures. He then thought back to what Amy had said that day.

"_Why couldn't you at least spare me __**your time and effort**__ into spending some quality time with me?! We could play that board game right now! Hey, there's an idea for you! Why don't you take the chance and hang out with me?!"_ Sonic thought as he replayed that memory over and over again. He can't help but feel guilty by not spending his time with her. He realizes that he is very unappreciative of Amy's loyalty and attention. He took them for granted. He is starting to consider that he should treat Amy as a friend more than treating her like a stranger. Yes, she's an obsessive fangirl, but she is his friend and should treat her with respect like any other person. Maybe he might make it up to her by hanging out with her on Valentine's Day. He could surprise her by meeting her while she goes on a date with Knuckles. Then, he could convince her to have him join her and Knuckles and just hang out as friends. That could work out. He could even apologize to her then too. By making that decision, Sonic smiled and ran off leaving the two of them alone.

Meanwhile, Amy and Knuckles continued swimming happily. Knuckles then tried to dunk Amy in the water by pushing her down. Amy laughed as she kept swimming away from him. Knuckles caught up to her and grabbed her on her shoulders. Instead, he pulled her closer to him and constrained her. Amy giggled as she said, "Hey! Let me go! Hahahahaha!".

"Ha! Not a chance! I've captured you, and there's no way out!" Knuckles joked as he held her tightly.

"Hehehehehe! Oh, Knuckles! You can't keep me here like this! I'll get out!" Amy said while kicking her feet to try to swim away and free herself.

"Not unless I do this!" Knuckles exclaimed as he pulled her up from the water and held her in his arms. Amy squealed as she was held up in the air. She kept on giggling as Knuckles took her out of the ocean. Knuckles was smiling as he does this. It goes to show that strength can be a useful thing sometimes. Amy was still laughing as he walked to the beach. He soon put her down once he was out of the water. Amy was giggling as she soon got her sandals back on.

She then replied, "Hehe, that was fun, wasn't it?!".

"Yeah...it sure was. Say, let's get cleaned up so that we could get something to eat," Knuckles replied while smiling calmly.

"Of coarse! Oh! I want to get some burgers! We could have that for dinner! Maybe some ice cream for dessert!" Amy exclaimed excitedly.

"That sounds fine with me. Come on. Let's clean up," Knuckles agreed as he pointed to the bag on the lawn chair. Amy nodded and went to her bag. Knuckles went with her. Amy took out two towels and gave one to Knuckles. They soon dried themselves off after a few minutes. They put the towels back into the bag. Amy then grabbed her bag and told Knuckles to wait for her to get changed again back to her outfit earlier. After Amy had got done changing, she went back out to meet with Knuckles and went to the boardwalk with him to get something to eat.

They enjoyed having a quiet meal together while watching the sunset. Amy bought their burgers and ice cream. Knuckles can't help but apologize to her for not paying for her or at least pay half of it. Amy shook her head and said that she didn't mind it at all. She wanted to have some burgers and ice cream anyways earlier today. So, she came prepared. It was a pleasant experience for the two of them. After the two of them ate, they decided to take a walk on the beach one last time before they leave. They were walking side by side as they continued to watch the gorgeous sunset go down into nighttime. They talked for a bit while still being a little playful with each other.

"Hehe, you know, Knuckles, I'm honestly not that surprised that you refused to play earlier. After all, you're basically like the 'Dad' of the group," Amy teased while giggling.

Knuckles groaned as he face-palmed. He replied in a bit of annoyance, "Ugh. Don't remind me. You and your friends hadn't let **that** down ever since that 'six-month incident'. Why do you always call me that whenever I refused to participate in your crazy activities?".

"Hahahahaha, oh, chill out, Knuckles. We always call you that out of endearment!" Amy laughed while comforting Knuckles a little by rubbing his arm.

_Uh huh. Sure you do. _Knuckles thought sarcastically. He frowned and countered back by saying, "Oh, yeah? How could calling someone a 'Dad' could possibly be out of endearment? You know that I'm still young, single, and DEFINITELY not having a kid! Why do you guys keep saying that?!".

"Hey, there's no need to be grouchy! It's actually a compliment! I mean you're practically the most mature person of the group! So, it's only natural that you would be looking out for us and taking care of us as if we are **your** children! Hehehehehe!" Amy replied giddily.

Knuckles turned to look at Amy as he growled at that. He raised a clenched fist as he yelled. "Grrr! If I had a son who grows up into another Sonic, then I would have given up on life at that moment! Don't get me wrong! I would still love my child, but dang it, that child would be the biggest pain in my butt if I had to ever had to raise him! It would be my absolute nightmare!" Knuckles exclaimed loudly while having a disgruntled expression.

Amy laughed hard at that. "Ahahahahahahahahaha! Oh, Knuckles! Hehehehehehehehe! You're so funny!" Amy laughed while clutching her stomach.

"It's **not** funny! It's horrible! I already have a rough time dealing with Sonic! I'm serious that I don't want to have another one!" Knuckles yelled in anger.

"Hahahahahahaha! Only you Knuckles would think that Sonic is horrible! Hehehehe! You and you alone!" Amy continued to laugh.

Knuckles pouted and looked away while crossing his arms. "But it is true! Do you have any idea how hard it is to watch out for his spiky, blue butt all the time?! He might be cocky and says that he could handle it and get the job done, but every time he says it, something bad happens to him and to all of us! Remember that time we got transported to Earth just because Sonic thinks that he could handle it? Yeah, that's right! He's the one who gets into trouble, yet he still gets praised for doing nothing! This is why I always have to be the straight man and confront him! He needs guidance and little bit of humility if he's going to face reality to what it really is! The world ACTUALLY DOES NOT REVOLVE AROUND HIM!" Knuckles exclaimed while getting passionate at the end.

Amy stopped laughing for a moment and stared wide eyed at him. Knuckles sighed as he rubbed his forehead in frustration. Amy couldn't tell if Knuckles really cared for Sonic or hates him because of what he had said. She did defend Sonic in the past saying that it's not his fault that they did got sent to Earth unintentionally. However, since more time had passed and after more adventures with Sonic, she is starting to see where Knuckles is saying here. She too believed that some situations could've been avoided if he wasn't overconfident or refused his friends' advice. Many of times it feels like the world is Sonic's oyster, and that the rules don't apply to him. He believes that he could do whatever he wants without suffering the consequences of his actions. However, Amy knew that isn't the reality that she lives in and not how the real world works. She wonders sometimes if her perspective on Sonic changed a bit as she had more experience dealing with Sonic than adoring him like a little fangirl that she used to be. She still loves him, but nowadays, she is starting to get annoyed on how often Sonic would excuse himself by saying that he needs to save the world without her or wants to go on a run alone. She is starting to believe that she deserved to be treated better and be truly cared for. Kind of like Knuckles is doing. She sighed.

_If only I wasn't so smitten to Sonic, maybe Knuckles and I could have gotten closer. We could possibly be even a real couple. Alas, that isn't the case. I'm sure Knuckles feels the same way about me. He really does deserve someone good in his life. Someone who would adore him in everything that he does and make him feel happy. If there is a girl out there who could help him be happy, then just please be there for him because I can't fill the void in his heart. _Amy meditated as she prayed a little.

She then looked back at Knuckles. He was still looking away from Amy. She smiled and tapped his shoulder. He turned his head around and said, "What is it?".

Amy then gave him another hug, this time on the side. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and back. Knuckles' eyebrows were raised as she does this. But he then slowly smiled as he said, "Hey, I don't know why you're doing this but thanks. I needed that".

"Yeah, anytime...Dad," Amy replied genuinely while being a bit playful.

Knuckles narrowed his eyes at her and frowned as he said, "I'm **not** your Dad!".

Amy then looked up at Knuckles while having a huge grin on her face. She then teased him by saying, "Oh, Knuckles. That's such a Dad thing to say!".

"Oh, cut that out! I'm not!" Knuckles retorted while looking displeased.

"Yeah, whatever you say **Dad**," Amy teased while having a silly smile on her face.

"Hmph!" Knuckles huffed as he looked at Amy with fierce eyes. Amy just kept smiling back. Amy then soon began giggling at how defensive Knuckles is being right now. Knuckles pouted again as he saw Amy laughing again. But very slowly, he began smiling too. Amy was holding onto Knuckles dearly as she laughed on his shoulder. Her laughter then soon got to Knuckles as he then laughed with her.

"Ahahahahahahahahahahaha! This is so stupid! Hahahahahahahaha!" Knuckles laughed.

"Hehehehehehe! Yes! Yes, it is! Hahahahahahahaha!" Amy agreed while laughing along with him.

"Hahahahahahaha! Aw, come here you! Heheheheheh!" Knuckles laughed as he put an arm over Amy and pulled her closer to him. They continued to walk the entire beach while holding close to each other.

After 30 minutes of walking, it was time to leave the beach as it was getting dark out. Knuckles and Amy said their goodbyes and went on their way to their homes. As Knuckles was walking, he continued to ponder on his epiphany. _Sigh. Well, the date was okay at best, however...I still wonder what it would be like if __**that someone **__was there instead of Amy. Maybe the date would have been wonderful, amazing even! But...it's not like I'll ever experience something like that anytime soon. I guess that Amy is the only person I know who could fill the void in my heart. It will still be incomplete, but at least it's something. It won't be perfect, but then again, nothing on this worthless planet is perfect. Who knows what will come to tomorrow as we go on to another fake date?_

Knuckles continued to walk alone to his home in the vast darkness of nighttime. In some ways, the outside atmosphere reflects what's on his heart. Dark, empty, quiet, and lonesome. But regardless, Knuckles kept traveling onto the dark path to his home and quite possibly in his mind, his prison, Angel Island.

**Well, another chapter done. We're now at the halfway mark in this short story. Knuckles sure can't escape being the "Dad" in multiple situations. Poor guy. Well, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Please R&R if you had enjoyed this! See you next part!**

**P.S. That part about Knuckles being 16 ½ as well as Sonic being 15 ½ for example. That is going to be a running gag that Sonic and his friends stopped aging at that point thanks to the Time Eater. Please understand that it's just my head cannon and doesn't reflect on their actual ages. I just think it's funny how easily people keep thinking that Sonic and friends kept on aging as each game goes by except that they aren't. Not to mention the fact their ages kept on being changed over the history of its franchise. Let's also not get started with the Archie Comics as they had their own cannon on how old Sonic and his friends were throughout the decades of comics. So, yeah, there's no reason to correct me about this. Just letting you know in case you're confused. So, let's have fun with this joke and roll with it!**


	5. Chapter 5: Entertainment Galore!

I Want To Be Alone On Valentine's Day

Part 5: Entertainment Galore!

On Saturday, Knuckles and Amy had agreed to come to the Night Carnival district at 12 PM. They talked on the phone to tell each other where to go and at what time. It was Knuckles' idea that they should come early so that they could go to all of the attractions in Night Carnival. They would go to the amusement park first, go to the arcade next, go to the movie theater then, go take a brief look in the costume center after that, and lastly go to a restaurant that has a balcony which oversees the big carnival district. Those were their plans for the day.

They both met up at the entrance of the Entertainment Center. The lights on the buildings are turned off for now, but when it lights up later, it will be quite a sight to see. Knuckles looked up at the sign as he waited for Amy again. The sign isn't lit up because it is still daytime, however, it still says "Night Carnival: Entertainment Center" on it. The Entertainment Center is like in a round circle. Each of the centers are lined up around the place as a miniature city. There were restaurants in one section of the circle. Movie theaters were in another section. Some arcade centers were in another section as well. Some shops are around in several places within the circle, excluding the popular costume center. And last but not least, the amusement park is up to the north within the circle. There were also stands scattered throughout the place as well as venues. It is no mystery why this place is a popular tourist attraction. Combined with Casino Park Zone, this place is very popular with the Mobians. Everyone in the planet is aware of this amazing place. It's a perfect place for bringing a date or in Knuckles' case a fake date.

Knuckles was still standing at the entrance with his eyes closed and with one of his hands on his hip as he waits patiently for Amy to show up again. _Hmm, I wonder if Amy is coming today. Did something happen to make her run late? She better not stood me up on a fake date. I was certain that she sounded excited when I had recommended the Entertainment Center to her at the café. Ugggh. I knew that I should have brought my new cell phone with me to at least try to call her to see if she's coming! The one time that I actually wanted to use modern technology, yet I don't have the resources to it. Well, there's nothing much to do but continue to wait._ Knuckles pondered as he tapped his foot on the ground.

"Knuckles! Knuckles! I'm here! I'm sorry that I'm late!" Amy yelled as she was running up to him.

Knuckles turned to look at Amy running to his right. He was surprised by what he saw. Amy was wearing another outfit. This time it's a lavender short sleeved shirt with a red miniskirt. She is also wearing her regular red boots. She waved her hand at Knuckles and smiled broadly at him. Knuckles smiled back and waved at her. Again, in his mind, Amy looks objectively lovely.

"Ah, Amy, it's good to finally see you again. I was a bit worried that you might not show up," Knuckles greeted calmly.

"Teehee, aw, Knuckles, you were worried about me? Were you really looking forward to our date so much that you got worried that I might have stood you up? That's adorable!" Amy squealed in happiness as she clasped her hands together in a cute way.

"...!" Knuckles gasped in shock as that question had caught him off guard. He blushed furiously. He shyly looked away as he covered his face with one of his hands.

Amy giggled as she watched Knuckles recover from embarrassment. She then commented saying, "Hehe, you really do get embarrassed easily don't you, Knuckles?".

"Believe me, you have no idea," Knuckles groaned as he massaged his forehead. He doesn't want to get a headache before the fake date began.

"Well, let's go to the amusement park! It will be so much fun! I brought enough money for everything that we will do today!" Amy exclaimed excitedly as pumped her fists in the air.

"Um, I actually would want to contribute to buying things with you this time. I wasn't able to yesterday, but I just want to make it up to you by pitching in our money together today. Will that be okay with you?" Knuckles replied modestly.

"Aw, you're so sweet, Knuckles! Okay, fine. If you want to help out by buying some things with me, then I don't mind at all! You really do care about me...**Dad**!" Amy exclaimed enthusiastically while teasing him again.

"Don't you dare start with that again!" Knuckles yelled as he felt more embarrassed than before.

"Hahahaha! Oh, lighten up, you! There's nothing wrong but tell a few jokes every now and again!" Amy giggled as she smiled innocently.

_Not unless you and your friends say it frequently! Or that they're not funny to begin with! If there is one thing to kill a joke, then it is to run it to the ground until it becomes brittle and break off into insignificant pieces!_ Knuckles brooded as he is crossing his arms and pouted.

Amy then saw Knuckles face and decided to cheer him up. "Hey, relax, Knuckles. You must know that I'm only playing around. I'm not going to hurt your feelings. Come now. Why don't we go check out some venues to get your mind off of this? Then when you're ready, we could go to the amusement park! What do you say?" Amy responded gently as she grabbed one of his arms.

Knuckles then sighed as he tried to muster a smile. He then replied, "Alright. Alright. I'll try to be a good sport. Let's go check out some venues. If you want to buy anything, then it's on me. I'll save you some money along the way".

Amy smiled brightly as she exclaimed, "Then let's go!".

With that, Amy ran forward inside the Entertainment Center. Knuckles shook his head as he walked casually to where Amy was. Amy was looking around the venues in the middle of the Main Center of the Entertainment Center or EC for short. It was easy for Knuckles to catch up to Amy since she is taking her time observing the venues. There were face painting venues, mask venues, carnival game venues, some comic book venues, picture taking venues, and last but not least...

"Oooh! Fortune telling venues!" Amy exclaimed excitedly. Yes, fortune telling venues were also around. Amy is a big fan of fortune telling. When she was a little girl, she used to collect tarot cards because she believes that they could tell the future. In one of her tarot cards, she read that she would meet her childhood hero, Sonic the Hedgehog. Ever since she had met Sonic on that fateful day on Little Planet, she had wholeheartedly believed in fortune telling. She would take every opportunity to collect special clairvoyant charms and go take her fortunes anywhere that she can. She just wants to confirm whether Sonic and her would get together and get married. She just can't help herself into wishing that future will become her reality.

She then decided to choose to go to one. Knuckles raised his eyebrows as he saw Amy go and sit at one of the fortune teller venues. He soon frowned and shook his head. He sighed as he brooded. _Is she really going to waste her money on this junk? I...I'll never understand her. Doesn't she realize that fortune telling is a scam? I can't believe that she believes so easily in this garbage! Ugh. I suppose that I should join her and pay for this fortune for her. I know that I would pay for her today, but this definitely a waste of money!_

He then joined Amy as he walked to her and took the other seat. Amy was jumping up and down on her seat. She then said to the vender, "Hey, um, sir, can we have our fortunes be told? Please?".

Knuckles blanched as he looked at Amy after she had said that. _What?! _Knuckles thought in shock as he stared at Amy with wide eyes and mouth agape. The old, brown, male dog with floppy ears working in the venue didn't notice this and said to Amy, "Why of coarse I'll take your fortunes! Six rings total for the two of you. Why it's great that such a lovely couple would want their fortunes being told together! How romantic!".

_Oh, please. Don't encourage Amy with that kind of talk!_ Knuckles brooded as he took his six rings out and paid the fortune teller. Amy beamed until she heard what the fortune teller had said. She blushed as she yelled, "W-W-What?! We're not a couple! We're, uh, just f-friends!".

Knuckles also blushed as the old man's sentence was processed in his mind. He also agreed with Amy by saying, "Uh! Um, yes! We're just friends! Nothing more! She just wants to make a fortune about her crush, Sonic!".

"Knuckles! Don't be so blunt about it!" Amy yelled angrily while feeling more embarrassed.

"What do you mean 'don't be so blunt about it'?! It's practically obvious that you want your fortune to be all about him! You want to marry him someday!" Knuckles yelled back while feeling irritated.

"Yeah, I do want to marry him, but do you really believe that I wanted to waste a fortune that might never come true?! I believe that anything can happen except that! I'm not the naïve, little girl anymore, Knuckles!" Amy argued back while pointing at his chest.

"Well, yeah! I...wait. Huh?" Knuckles replied until he became confused.

Amy continued by saying, "Yes, Knuckles. I did change my mind! Do you really think that I will want to keep dreaming on a hopeless case like Sonic? Ever since he had pushed me away, I been doing some thinking lately. Why would he want to keep persisting that I should leave him alone? It's clear now that he doesn't love me that way, and he probably will never change his mind! I should stop wasting these fortunes on him and focus on fortunes that probably matter to others! It would at least give some comfort to others that something good is going to happen in their lives, and I want to deliver that message to them! Do you...still think that I'm** that** obsessive over Sonic, Knuckles?".

Knuckles awkwardly stared at Amy for a few moments. He was utterly speechless at Amy's bold statement. He didn't know that Amy had done some self-reflecting lately. He couldn't find a counter argument to that. Instead, he looked a bit guilty and muttered quietly, "I'm sorry, Amy. I had misjudged you".

Amy then gave Knuckles a small sad smile. She then replied, "It's okay. I forgive you".

"Er, um, say you two? Are you, um, done...arguing? I know that friends fight, but this isn't the time or the place," the old dog muttered awkwardly.

Amy and Knuckles both blushed at this and looked away. Amy then said, "Um, sorry, sir. May I ask for my fortune now?".

"Ah, go ahead. Take the time to think of your question," the old dog replied as he nodded.

Amy then put her finger under her chin as she thought about her question. Knuckles simply looked at the other venues to avoid looking at Amy. After a few minutes, Amy soon nodded and asked her fortune, "Uh, umm, sir? My friend, Knuckles, here...".

_What the-! Huh?!_ Knuckles thought as his eyes went wide and looked back at Amy. He suddenly felt his heart beating fast as he panicked. Just what will Amy ask about him?

"Um...will he...will he get to meet his "special someone" in the future?" Amy asked humbly with sad eyes and with her hands folded.

_Wha-wha-whaaaaaaaaaat?!_ Knuckles thought as his jaw dropped at that question. The old dog nodded as he looked at his crystal ball and some cards. While the fortune teller makes his deduction about this fortune, Knuckles leaned into Amy and whispered harshly at her. "_Just what are you doing?! Why did you make that fortune?! It's not as if **that** will come true! And you say that Sonic dating or marrying you is impossible! At least **that** sounds more plausible than **mine** is!_" Knuckles whispered as he frowned deeply.

Amy looked at Knuckles with a slightly playful smile as she whispered back, "_Hehe, hey, you never know. Maybe you'll might meet the 'Mommy' of our group. Hehehehehe! Maybe at that point being called a 'Dad' or 'Daddy' won't be so bad!_". Amy kept on quietly giggling as Knuckles blushed deeply at that reasoning.

He tried to retort by saying while blushing furiously, "Wh-Wh-What?! Why would you-you-you say that?! Th-Th-That's r-ridiculous! I...I! I don't believe you! That w-w-won't h-happen!".

"_Aww, you're stuttering! You feel embarrassed that a 'Mom' could exist, do you?_" Amy whispered while she teased Knuckles with a mischievous smile.

"Ack! Th-Th-That! Urgh! That's not what I'm embarrassed about! You're speaking nonsense!" Knuckles denied while looking away, closing his eyes and crossing his arms.

Amy just giggled as she watched Knuckles continued to blush in embarrassment. The truth was that Amy needed to know if Knuckles will be taken care of in the future. She knows that she couldn't fulfill that role. So, she wanted confirmation that someone will be there for Knuckles in his time of need and fill in the empty hole in his heart. It's the least that she could do for her friend.

"Hmmm, hmmm, ah! Yes, I see now! I see. I see," the old dog muttered as he got a focus on the crystal ball and found the right clairvoyant cards.

Amy looked back up at the fortune teller and said with hope in her eyes, "Oh! So, what does it say?!". Knuckles looked at the fortune teller with one eye open and a quirked eyebrow. He still doesn't believe that it will happen. There's no way.

The old dog placed his cards down and said, "Well, it appears that there is a "special someone" for this young man here, and it appears that she will come very soon, very soon indeed".

_That's what they all say whenever they speak about "special someones" all the time._ Knuckles thought while feeling a little annoyed. The old dog continued speaking.

"Hmm, it seems like this girl appears to be a strange one. Definitely mysterious since no one had ever seen this type of girl. Very colorful and bright that one is. She may be lacking knowledge about the modern world we live in everyday because of how sheltered she is, but her vast wisdom makes up for it," the old dog spoke jovially.

_Huh?_ Knuckles thought as he looked at the fortune teller fully as he suddenly felt intrigued by the description of this "special someone". His eyes went wide and looked a little curious.

"Really? Wow!" Amy exclaimed happily.

"Yes, it is true. She is quite a wonderful girl to be around. She is easy to get along with considering how empathetic she is. She is such an affectionate, kind girl who would do anything to make others around her happy. Kind of like a servant in some ways. She desires to protect others from harm and love those she protects unconditionally. Perhaps she does this due to her altruistic beliefs. Even for how young she is, she already holds such strong beliefs and lives by them. She may be childish in some parts of her behavior that might seem to put off people, but her maturity and intuition is what makes her stand out even more. She lives a simple life and has simple desires, but that's how she manages to stay happy and cheerful. That is why she appears so odd to others. It's not just her appearance but **who** she really is too. For who she is, however, well, that is quite the most interesting part! For some strange reason, I sense a strong, powerful energy within her. A power that no Mobian had ever seen before or would ever believe that could be possible. But despite this raw, awesome power that she has, she is very gentle with others. She's very loving too. She would not dare to use her powers to hurt them or do anything wrong to them. She's is very sensitive to others and to their feelings. It's because of these traits that she's good at interacting with children. She absolutely adores them!" the old dog listed off these character traits with enthusiasm in his voice.

"Ooooh, this girl sounds incredible!" Amy said while being star-struck. Knuckles blinked in confusion and with a blank look on his face. The description sounds too unreal to be true. Yet, he still listened to it.

"Why indeed she is! She is certainly very beautiful and adorable too! Not just on the outside but on the inside as well! Ho ho ho ho," the old dog agreed happily.

"Oh, Knuckles! Isn't great? You are going to meet the 'Mom' of our group in no time! He did say that she's great with kids after all! Hehehehe!" Amy said cheerfully.

Knuckles looked at Amy quickly with a flushed expression on his face. He tried to come up with the words to object to this absurdity, but he couldn't find any. If he was being honest with himself, he was very impressed with the unknown girl's description. He had definitely not met any teenaged girls with **that** description. Honestly, he was certainly grateful that it wasn't Rouge's description of her character. It's only more proof that they were an unequal match. They were incompatible after all. However, with this so-called "strange and mysterious girl", it sounds like she could be a such a gentlewoman. It's not very common with teenaged-girls nowadays. They are no different than men now on how un-polite they are. Having girls who are gentlewomen are really rare. Considering that in mind, it's no wonder that she is a type of girl that no one had ever seen before.

The old fortune teller then spoken up, "Well, that's your fortune for today. So, sir, what is your fortune that you want to be told?".

Knuckles was startled by the old dog's voice. He wasn't paying attention. He completely forgot that he was supposed to participate in this as well. He nodded and said, "Oh, uh, well...hmm...say, will Amy and Sonic get closer?".

Amy gasped as she put her hand over her mouth. She couldn't believe that Knuckles would ask something like that. Was this his way to apologize to her for being too judgmental?

"Hmm, let's see what we got here," the old dog said as he is looking at his crystal ball and cards again.

Amy looked at Knuckles in shock and in gratitude. Knuckles simply leaned onto the table with one arm and kept looking down on it. He didn't say anything but being oddly quiet during this. Amy isn't sure if Knuckles is thinking about apologizing to her about his wrong assumptions or still contemplating on this supposed "special someone" that he might meet in the future. Her bet is probably on the latter.

She was certainly right on that.

_Hmmm, just who is this __**girl**__? And how come I couldn't meet her now?! I feel empty and alone in this world! Can there really be someone who understands my plight?! …...Still, it feels almost too good to be true. Can __**that girl **__really be my "special someone"? Can she really exist in this universe? _Knuckles brooded while grimacing.

"Hmm, hmmm, aha! Yes! Yes! I see now! I see!" the old dog exclaimed as he found out the fortune.

Knuckles looked back up and said, "Oh, so you have something? What is it then?".

Amy also looked at the fortune teller with hope and curiosity in her eyes. The old dog had answered, "Why yes! It appears that this lovely lady here and Sonic will indeed get closer! Much closer indeed!".

"What?!" Amy exclaimed in surprise. Her hope levels had skyrocketed and will never come down.

"Of coarse they will get closer! It seems like Sonic feels guilty for some reason, and he feels incredibly lonely. He is going to do something to strengthen the relationship that you two have. In fact, he is planning something this week!" the old dog added enthusiastically.

Amy felt very enthusiastic at this. She never thought that the day will come that Sonic might change his behavior. Although she still feels a little doubtful however. Nevertheless, she is intrigued on how Sonic will make it up to her, even after the argument that they had.

"Why something tells me that he might even meet you on Valentine's Day!" the old dog exclaimed jovially.

"_Awww, really_? That's so sweet! Sonic may just have a heart after all! Teehee!" Amy exclaimed while giggling.

Knuckles rolled his eyes at that. _Amy...please don't tell me that you're going to buy that? I swear if that girl ends up head over heels for that blue idiot again after he does something even remotely romantic, then I really do give up on her! …...Well, I suppose that I was right all along. She never changes and neither does Sonic. _Knuckles brooded while looking annoyed.

"Well, then, your fortune had been told. Thank you for your patronage. Have a nice day!" the old dog said happily.

"Okay! Thank you so much! Come on, Knuckles! Let's go to the amusement park!" Amy exclaimed excitedly while pulling his arm out of his seat.

"Uh, uh, okay! Okay! Easy!" Knuckles yelled in surprise. He quickly got up and ran with Amy. The two friends went to the bright and peppy amusement park. They looked around for the high and fast rides. Amy pulled Knuckles to one of the rides. He didn't mind the rides, but the rides still somehow made his heart briefly stop whenever they went very tall rides or fast and twisty ones. Meanwhile, Amy is thrilled with each of the rides. She would scream and laugh in excitement while Knuckles remains quiet yet surprised. They would also go on some of the medium sized rides like the tall swings and log rides. Knuckles is fine with the swing rides, but he always had issues with the log rides however. He wishes that he doesn't get to be suddenly wet all the time whenever he rides one. Still, while being soaked to the bone, he still enjoyed himself even when he doesn't show it.

"Man, that was amazing! You know you could at least express a little bit of happiness or excitement, Knuckles! Those rides were great!" Amy exclaimed while being completely dry.

"Speak for yourself! You weren't the one who got soaked in that ride!" Knuckles yelled while pouting.

"Hehehe! Oh, relax, Knuckles! I'm sure that you enjoyed it just fine!" Amy exclaimed playfully.

"_Yeah, being covered in water and almost throwing up sounds enjoyable_," Knuckles replied sarcastically while narrowing his eyes at her.

Amy just laughed at that. Knuckles then smiled as he was a bit happy that he had made her laugh. He soon frowned a little as he looked down and pondered. _Sigh. Why am I thinking about that "special someone" again? Is it because I wished that certain __**someone**__ would be here and laugh at my sense of humor? Is it because that I want to make that __**someone**__ happy by bringing her here and go on rides with her? Somehow, I just know that if I do that then I would see that beautiful, cute smile on her sweet, cheerful face. It would be the most precious sight that I would ever get to see. That pure, innocent joy __**that someone **__would express so freely that it will be contagious to me. …...Why? Why can't **she** be here by now?_

Amy soon stopped laughing and felt concerned for Knuckles. She could see that Knuckles was grimacing. She frowned and placed a hand on top of his shoulder. "Knuckles, please tell me what's wrong. If you could just tell me, then I would gladly help you," Amy said softly.

Knuckles didn't say anything. He turned his head and lowered his eyelids at her in sadness. He replied in a depressed tone, "It's nothing that you can help me with. That is all".

Amy lowered her eyes at Knuckles in sympathy. She then nodded reluctantly and said, "Alright, fine. Then let's just go get some cotton candy and go to the arcade. Maybe that could cheer you up!".

Knuckles then gave a half smile as he said, "Right. Let's go. Thanks, Amy".

"Hey, anytime, Knuckles," Amy responded with a sad smile.

They soon left the amusement park and bought themselves some cotton candy as a snack. Amy got a blue one while Knuckles got the regular pink one. It was around 4 PM. They plan to go see a movie at around 5 PM. They have an hour to go play at the arcade. They soon finished their cotton candy and went to the left side of the EC where the arcade is. They went inside the arcade. There were plenty of children and teenagers in the dark arcade. Classic video game tunes were played over the speakers which only enhances the retro look of the arcade center. There were some crane games, ski ball games, a bowling alley, a skating rink, and a bumper car arena along with the arcade machines. It is a place that children and adults could enjoy due to its diversity in fun activities.

"Come on! Let's go buy some coins so that we could play these games!" Amy exclaimed while pulling Knuckles' hand along.

"Geez, take it easy, Amy! I'm going! I'm going!" Knuckles exclaimed as he was being dragged by Amy.

They went up to a booth where they could exchange rings for play coins. They could pitch in 15 rings together so that they could play all the games if they are interested or in Knuckles' case, if Amy is interested. Knuckles then told Amy that she should spend 10 rings instead because they wouldn't have enough time to play all these games and go to the movies on time. Amy shook her head and pouted at him.

She then said, "We will make it there in time if we go play them quickly! You will be amazed on how fast time goes by when you're in here!".

Knuckles doubted that. He could easily see Amy act childish and beg him to play one more game when they have a few minutes to go to the movies to catch their movie. Nevertheless, he shrugged and helped Amy buy the coins for 15 rings. With the coins in the bag, they went to the arcade machines first. As the first ten minutes passed, Amy was enjoying her time immensely as she is winning these games with Knuckles. She was pretty decent in playing old arcade games. Knuckles, however, was doing terrible at these games. He could never get the timing right on pushing the buttons or remember what the controls were. It is understandable since he spends more time watching the Master Emerald than playing arcade games or video games for that matter. He can't help but feel frustrated when he is losing or had lost. He is easily competitive at times like this one for instance.

"Woohoo! I won again! Gee, Knuckles, you really do stink at these games, huh?" Amy teased while smiling very wide.

Knuckles narrowed his eyes at one arcade machine and said in a dead-pan voice, "This game is just broken".

"Ahahahahahahahahahaha! Oh, Knuckles! You're just saying because you lost again! Hahahahahahaha! It's okay to admit that you suck at these games!" Amy said while laughing.

Knuckles turned around and looked angry at Amy. He then yelled, "Oh yeah?! Then how come **you're** so good at it?! I thought that you would be more busy chasing Sonic and go shopping than play these games!".

"Hehehehehe! Silly knucklehead! I have a life outside of Sonic **and** shopping you know! I play these arcade games with either Tails or Cream sometimes whenever we visit here! I know that Sonic is like a pro at these games. So, I want to try to learn these games so that I could try to compete with him in a fair competition someday! Hehehehehe! Even Cream is even a better player than you are, Knuckles! That's very sad!" Amy explained while giggling a little.

Knuckles growled. "Grrrrr. Can you not make fun of me for at least one day?! I could beat you at least one of these games!" Knuckles yelled, challenging Amy.

"Uh huh. Sure, **Dad**, whatever you say," Amy teased while looking devious.

"Grrrrrrrrr! **Don't start!**" Knuckles yelled as he growled deeper and held up a fist at Amy.

Amy laughed again as she said, "Okay, one more game. Then we could play some ski ball. That is if you still have any fight in you!".

Knuckles crossed his arms and said proudly, "I will find a way to beat you at your own game! How about that whack-a-mole game?! I bet that I can beat you at that!".

Amy smiled widely as she exclaimed, "You're on!". She soon ran over to the last game and waited for Knuckles to join. Knuckles sighed and shook his head as he walked over there too. It was a simple whack-a-mole game with a regular black hammer attached to it. Amy took her first turn after she put a coin into the machine. Each mole went up and got smacked by the game's hammer that Amy is holding. She had very quick reflexes and kept on slamming the hammer down with precision. She was very consistent with her hits. Knuckles then felt a little worried that he might lose since the score count kept on going higher. Maybe he was being desperate by saying that he could beat her at one more game. The game ended by Amy having 25000 points total. She almost got all of the moles. She had only missed five. She smiled with confidence that she had won. She soon gave the hammer to Knuckles and told him "Good luck!" in a sing-song voice that it's in an almost taunting way.

Knuckles took a deep sigh as he took out one of the coins and put it into the machine. He held the hammer very tightly and had the most serious face that he could muster. It was pretty funny to Amy since he's getting so serious over a whack-a-mole game. She covered her mouth with one hand as she muffled her chuckles. Knuckles was glaring at the machine as he waited for his first target. One mole went up on his far left. With a slight delay, Knuckles then noticed the mole and tried to whack it. He missed as the mole went down fast. Another mole went up, and Knuckles tried whack it a second time...then a third time...a fourth time...a fifth time...a six time...and so forth.

SLAM! SLAM! SLAM! SLAM! SLAM! SLAM! SLAM! SLAM! SLAM! SLAM! SLAM! SLAM! SLAM! SLAM! SLAM! SLAM! SLAM! SLAM! SLAM! SLAM! SLAM! SLAM! SLAM!

Knuckles slammed the hammer so hard onto the machine as he tried to whack at least one mole. He was exhausted when he got to his last mole. The mole went up, and it looked like that it won't go down. His eyes went wide and had an almost desperate yet hopeful smile on his face as he thought that he could get one hit on this game. He lifted the hammer up high and slammed down as hard as he could. SLAM! Unfortunately, he was a second too late as the mole went down quickly. Knuckles got 0 points total.

_OH, YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!_ Knuckles thought as he fumed. He lost to his own bet. Amy just couldn't hold in her laughter anymore as she saw Knuckles' poutiest face as he glared at the machine with his hammer down.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh, my goodness, Knuckles! That was terrible! How did you manage to lose?! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! That was just the saddest thing I have ever witnessed in my life! Only you, Knuckles! Only you could fail this badly because you're a knucklehead! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Amy said as she laughed so hard that she's clutching her stomach and wiping tears from her eyes.

Knuckles snapped his head around to growl loudly at her. He already doesn't like losing, but he **hates** being made fun of **because** he lost even more. Knuckles yelled back, "Oh, shut up! Stop laughing at me! You only won because of luck! This game is stupid!".

"Hehehehehe! Says the one who encouraged playing this game as his bet! Hahahahahaha! Man, I tell you Knuckles. You really suck at these games! You know you might have a chance in beating someone at these games if you were up against **that** mysterious 'special someone' of yours! Hehehehehe! Who knows! **She** might be even worse than you!" Amy replied while still laughing.

"Oh yeah?! Well-! …...Uh...um...mmmph..." Knuckles replied until he stopped talking once he heard Amy mention that "special someone" again. He then looked down, feeling depressed again. He felt himself weakening as he slowly put the hammer away and turned around slowly. Amy noticed Knuckles was looking down again and immediately regretted making fun of him. She went to him and placed her hand on his shoulder again.

"Knuckles...I'm sorry for being too mean towards you. I must have said something that had hurt your feelings. I'm sorry that I did that. I promised you that I wouldn't hurt your feelings, but I did anyway. I'm very sorry, Knuckles," Amy apologized while looking sad.

Knuckles looked up at Amy in the eye with a frown. He brooded as he stared into her eyes._ It's not that you had made fun of me that's the main issue here. It's because you had reminded me of that mysterious __**girl**__ again that hurt me. Amy, you have no idea how much I wish that this __**girl **__is here right now. You don't know how curious and wanting I am for this strange__** girl**__. The more you keep teasing me about her, the more pain I receive for never going to meet her in my lifetime. You may have gotten lucky and had met the guy of your dreams, Sonic the Hedgehog. But that sort of thing will never happen with me. Nothing good ever happens with me._

Knuckles lowered his eyes and looked sad. Amy then grabbed Knuckles' other shoulder and shook him. "Knuckles! Knuckles! Hey! Snap out of it! It's...It's going to be okay, Knuckles! It'll be alright!" Amy yelled out of concern.

"Will it? Will it be alright?" Knuckles muttered quietly in a low, depressed tone.

"Ohhh, Knuckles..." Amy replied in sadness._ This was supposed to be a fun date! What went wrong?_ Amy thought as she tried to come up with some way to cheer him up. She gently rubbed his shoulders as she thought. It was quiet between the two of them. Amy soon had a bright idea as she then said, "Hey, let's not stay down. We could go into some bumper cars and have fun there. We could then go ski balling and maybe bowling after that. Maybe that could you cheer up! There's no need to be in a sour mood. Just try to lighten up, Knuckles, okay?".

Knuckles looked back up again and nodded slowly. He may not have smiled there, but he was grateful that Amy had tried to console him. He is still hurting, but he decided to put that beside him for now. It's their fake date that's important here! Although that still sounds ridiculous considering that's the case. He then replied, "Okay, let's go then. We don't have much time left".

"See? That's the spirit! Let's have fun, Knuckles!" Amy exclaimed while taking her hands off of him. Knuckles gave a small smile and walked past her and went to the bumper car arena. Amy was surprised that Knuckles went ahead of her this time. She turned around and followed him there.

It took a few minutes to get past the depressing moment they had earlier. But Amy and Knuckles had fun riding in the bumper cars. There were other children and teens with them too, but they had fun bumping into each other as they played together. Amy was smiling and laughing. Knuckles somehow managed to smile as he is still trying to forget those depressing thoughts. He was soon enjoying himself again. When the ride was over, they got off of the bumper cars and went to the ski ball section of the arcade. It was now 4:25 PM. They still had time to play some ski ball and play one round of bowling before they leave to see the movies. Knuckles was kind of glad that he doesn't get spend more time here. He certainly didn't want to be humiliated any more by either playing the crane games or go skating. He is also terrible at those as well.

"Alright! I get to go first!" Amy exclaimed as she put a coin into the ski ball machine. Knuckles shrugged as he crossed his arms and watched Amy play her turn. Amy grabbed one of the balls and swung her arm under her. She let the ball roll as fast as she could with that underthrow. The ball rolled fast and went into one of the slots. She got a 50 with her first ball. She kept on rolling her balls as tried to get some consistent throws. She still missed some as four of them went to the 10 slot instead of the 50. She didn't dared to try to get an 100. She was fine playing it normally. She ended the game with 250 points. She felt proud of her score and stepped aside to let Knuckles try to his shot. Knuckles then went up to the machine, placed his coin into the slot, and received his nine balls. He then took one of them and tried to go for the 100 that Amy didn't go for. He swung underhandedly, and the ball rolled up to the 100. However, the ball only plinked off of the rim and went down to the 10 instead. Knuckles frowned as he tried again. The same thing happened again as the ball went back down to the 10. He grimaced as he kept trying and trying again to reach the 100. It would either miss or plink off the rim. He missed all of them except one. He got only one ball into the 100. He's total score was 180.

_Just when I thought that I had a chance to win this. Who knew that rolling small things would be so hard?_ Knuckles pondered as he shook his head in disappointment.

Amy just stood quietly this time. She didn't even bother making a comment this time. Instead, she then said, "Hey, why don't go bowling right now? That will be the last thing that we will do in the arcade!".

Knuckles turned his head around and nodded while he still frowned. He is much better off getting things over with than to linger any longer around here. He went with Amy to the bowling alley. Luckily, there was carpeting before the alleys so that they don't have to change their shoes. When they had picked an alley, they went there, and Amy decided to go first again. Knuckles didn't mind her going first all the times they had competed so far in these games. It's just a polite thing to do.

Amy soon grabbed her bowling ball and tried her best to bowl the pins down. She only managed to get four pins down. She took another ball and got a spare by knocking the other pins down. Amy soon stepped aside and let Knuckles take his turn. He could easily hold onto the ball without using his fingers to do it. He focuses his aim and then threw underhandedly to the pins. He threw the ball fast and knocked all of the pins down. Amy actually cheered for Knuckles once she saw the strike.

"Yay! You did it, Knuckles! I guess that it's my turn now!" Amy cheered happily.

"Hmph!" Knuckles huffed while smiling proudly. He stepped aside and let Amy take her turn. Only this time, Amy got three pins down and didn't get a spare. Amy frowned as she muttered, "Rats".

She stepped aside, and Knuckles took his turn. Knuckles rolled the bowling ball and got another strike. Knuckles smiled as he thought. _Heh. It's looks like I finally found a game that I could win at!_

It went on like that for a few bowls. Amy did get one strike while most of them were spares. At one time, she got a gutter ball twice. Knuckles tried not to laugh at that time. He had an easy time getting strikes. At the end, he got all ten strikes. So, he already had won. Amy finally got her first loss of the day. She shrugged and smiled at Knuckles. She then said, "Hehe, congratulations, Knuckles! You finally won a game! I guess that you're really good at this sport!".

"Heh. I guess that I'm both good both at bowling **and** at baseball then, am I?" Knuckles responded smugly.

"Teehee, you sure are! You really are good with anything involving sports!" Amy replied while beaming at him.

"Yeah, I guess I am," Knuckles agreed while nodding.

Amy smiled back and said, "Say, it's almost time for the movies to start! Let's go there quickly!".

"I agree. Let's leave already," Knuckles responded as he walked towards the entrance of the arcade center. Amy ran quickly toward the counter to dispose the rest of the coins and followed Knuckles out of the arcade.

It was 4:50 PM. There were ten minutes left before the movies played. Amy and Knuckles quickly walked to the right side of the EC and went past the venues of the area. Once they walked into the movie theater, there were some people in the lobby getting some snacks and stuff. It was relatively quiet. Knuckles stood next to Amy as he said, "So, what movie do you want to see? And remember. No romantic comedies!".

"I know. I know," Amy replied while feeling a little annoyed. She looked up at the movie listings at the top of the counter. She put a finger under her chin as she thought about what to watch. She definitely doesn't want anything dealing with horror movies or action movies considering how much Sonic makes her watch them. So, it kind of lowered her options. She then looked around in the theater to see some posters for the movies that were on right now. She wondered what was considered popular at the moment. Her eyes then spotted a poster that was red and had an ominous monster starring in it. She was rather intrigued by it considering it looked mysterious. She had seen some monsters already while she had her adventures with Sonic. So, she believed that it can't be that scary compared to real monsters that she saw in the past. She then made her decision.

"I know what I want to watch now!" Amy exclaimed to Knuckles.

"Oh? You did?" Knuckles replied with one eyebrow raised.

"Yeah! Come on! Let's go buy our tickets!" Amy yelled as she pulled Knuckles to the counter where a worker stood there smiling at them.

_Please tell me that she isn't going to go back on her word. I beg of you._ Knuckles pondered while wishing that it wasn't the case. The cashier then said, "How may I help you?".

"Two tickets to the movie, ShinG!**(See A/N below for details)** We want to see it at the 5 PM showing!" Amy said while holding two fingers up to emphasize her point.

"That will be 24 rings please!" the cashier had said. Amy and Knuckles looked at each other and nodded as they both get 12 of their rings out. They paid the cashier and grabbed their tickets. The cashier smiled as he said, "Have a nice evening!".

"Thank you, sir! Now, let's get some snacks, Knuckles!" Amy exclaimed more excitedly.

"Hey, calm down! I'll get your food! Are you like a cat or something?!" Knuckles exclaimed back looking rather panicked by Amy's sudden energy.

"Hehe, I'm just excited to see a new movie! I think that this one will be really good! This movie we're seeing won 'Best Picture' you know!" Amy exclaimed cheerfully.

"Huh. 'Best Picture' you say? I guess that it's worth finding out what it is," Knuckles replied curiously. Amy nodded happily as she waited in line at the concession stand. Knuckles waited for her. When it was their turn, they told the two theater workers what they want. They got two large sodas and two large popcorns. They soon paid for their snacks together, carried their snacks, went to another theater worker, and showed him their tickets. The man gave a smile and said, "Enjoy your movie".

"Thank you!" Amy thanked the worker as she walked past him. Knuckles simply nodded to him and followed Amy. They went to the far left of the hallway and turned right to the door where their movie was about to play. Knuckles saw that there were several people there, but it was mostly empty. He breathed a sigh of relief knowing that there won't be any distractions at least.

He then told Amy, "Um, I noticed that I'm starting to run low on my money. I'm sorry that I couldn't spend any more if I run out".

"Oh, it'll be fine! We won't be buying anything at the costume center! We could just look and wear the costumes only for fun! We'll only buy something at the restaurant. It's a good thing that the restaurant we're choosing is cheap one. But it also serves good food, so, we'll be alright!" Amy replied happily as she chooses her seats near the back row of the movie theater.

"Well...okay, if you say so," Knuckles responded as he went to the back row with her. They soon took their seats in the middle of the row. The movie went through with their trailers quickly before the movie begins. The movie then started as the lights in the theater lowered. The two friends got comfortable in their seats with Amy on the right and with Knuckles on the left. They soon heard the famous loud booming noises from the movie and the famous roar as the movie's title card showed up. They were immediately focusing on the movie once they had heard that.

Later in the movie, they had been eating as they watched, completely invested in the movie's plot about a mysterious monster attacking a popular eastern country and its citizens. In their minds, they reflected how the government people in the movie responded somewhat similar to the Neo G.U.N. Force**(See A/N below for details)**. Their government had always underestimated whether a threat can be easily taken care of or wouldn't be any harm to others. Eventually, they finally saw what the monster is. It is like a deformed version of the Biolizard but with spikes on its back and with blood shaking out of its gills. Amy was shocked as she let out a gasp. Knuckles eyes went wide in surprise as he was intrigued by this strange monster. The monster went on its way destroying buildings and property. The people tried to run away as the monster went closer to them while smacking cars out of the way. Meanwhile, the orchestral music is playing in the background as the monster made its rampage across the city. There were English subtitles at the bottom of the movie screen to show the lyrics of the songs being played**(A/N There weren't any subtitles to the songs during the actual movie. It's there purely for the sake of the story**). As the movie progressed, the monster was seen to be growing larger and larger. Later in the movie, Amy and Knuckles were shocked to see how huge the monster is on its fourth phase. He was taller than most of the skyscrapers in the movie. They watched the monster easily withstanding the military's weaponry and destroying the tanks as it passes by. Soon, they watched the scene where the monster reached the main city that the military had tried to protect. As the monster entered the city, it knocked down the power cables to the city. The orchestral music was played again with subtitles at the bottom of the screen. The city was pitch black as the power out, and the monster stood in the middle of the city ominously. Amy felt anxious about what will happen next. She had some hope that the other country's military air force will kill the monster. However, Knuckles has doubts that the air strikes wouldn't work on the monster. He was proven right. The attacks hit the monster's back, and blood splashed out of it. Yet, the monster was still standing. The monster then looked angry as he roared and took action to this attack. Thus, it had created the most famous scene in the movie, and in a way, Knuckles was like in a trance as it happened.

Another orchestral song played with lyrics in the bottom of the screen. This time the beautiful song was like poetry to Knuckles as it reflected on what's on his heart these days. As the music kept on going, the monster soon unleashed its most powerful attack from its mouth. First, it was dark mist from its breath. Secondly, it turned into fire which started to burn the city into ashes. Finally, the red fire turned into a bright purple glow beam and destroyed the buildings with its nuclear ray. It had easily destroyed the buildings and the flying vehicles. The monster even attacked with its back and tail shooting more purple rays out of it. Amy was amazed yet horrified by the monster's power. However, Knuckles wasn't afraid, but he wasn't paying attention either. He was rather enamored by this scene with its music and visual imagery it had showed. It was like poetry being brought to life in this scene. The dark poetry shown in his heart.

He had deep darkness and secrets hidden in his heart just like the monster was spewing out dark mist. His pain being the truth of his reality of being the Guardian of the Master Emerald. He already fully understood his place now many, many months ago after the whole Metarex incident when he got time to contemplate about himself and his purpose for being a guardian. The truth couldn't be any more bitter and painful than that. He is in reality a prisoner to his family's and his clan's sins in the ancient past. He can't escape from his life sentence. He must carry out his metaphorical life sentence by guarding the Master Emerald and never abandon his duty or his island. He isn't supposed to live a life on his own, to find his own happiness, to enjoy life as it is, or have any sort of fulfillment. For years, he thought that he was protecting the emerald out of pride and honor for his people, but now, he knows different. Thus, it is when he first realized how unworthy and despicable he is for protecting the emerald. He realizes that he is no different than his ancestors no matter how hard he tried to be good or be a hero. He is still a selfish, greedy person as them. He is a part of his clan, and that fact will never change. Also, he can't even judge Chaos for killing his people anymore because he is just as bad as them. So, it only produces more pain to his heart. That pain is soon transformed into a dark secret that Knuckles was now fully aware that he had even before he had realized it. He had this secret locked away in his unconscious for years, but now with the truth being realized, he now knew why he was so unhappy with himself for the past six years. That deep, dark secret he had is...his depression.

The aching sadness and the dull pain of living a boring, unfulfilled life of protecting the Master Emerald every day came to be known to him. He soon realized that anyone could protect the emerald and still be fulfilled and happy with their lives, but why can't he? What was his purpose for being here and alive if someone could do a better job in protecting the Master Emerald than him?! That is something he doesn't understand, and it hurts him to his soul. He is only a prisoner and always will be. No one could save him from that. If that is the case, then what does it mean to be a "guardian"? Does it really mean to be a prisoner for life and never truly enjoy life as a free person? Is that what it really means? These questions had kept Knuckles bounded to the world. He could try to escape from that either physically by leaving the island for a few hours or mentally by throwing away his identity. However, that creates a problem. If he isn't a guardian, then what is his purpose for living if not that? His entire life was about guarding the emerald! If he doesn't have an identity outside of that, then he couldn't live with himself anymore!

…...Because of that, he wonders if others will know him if he died. Even if he...attempts to take his own life. He still wouldn't go with it. He believes that he shouldn't give up on life just like that. But how long could he keep that up? His heart is big void and full of despair with no hope in sight. There is nothing but darkness. No light in sight. Regardless, he couldn't risk having this dark secret being made known to others. Not even to his so-called "friends". So, like the monster breathing fire instead of mist in the movie, he covers up his depression with anger. He did this for months, and no one had noticed it. His anger came from a deep-seated hatred for his "friends". As a result, he hurts others just like the monster destroying buildings, people, and military with its fire and purple ray beams in the movie. Thus, he believes that he is a** monster** because of it. So, like the monster becoming numb or not moving in the movie, Knuckles became numb as he watched the rest of the movie.

…...

"Hey...Knuckles? Knuckles? The movie was over. It's time to go," Amy said as she shook Knuckles on the shoulder.

Knuckles was still in a daze almost like that time when Tikal had showed him visions of his clan's past. He was staring downwards absentmindedly on his half-eaten popcorn. First, he felt depressed whenever he heard the words "special someone", and now this, where a movie had reminded him of the truth of who he really is on the inside. Today isn't really a good day for him. Amy grabbed both of his shoulders and stood in front of him.

"Knuckles! Get up! Are you feeling okay? Please! Tell me! I want to help you!" Amy yelled as she tried to get Knuckles' attention.

Knuckles snapped out of his trance and looked up at Amy. He then muttered quietly, "Oh, uh, the movie is over then?".

"Yes! It is! Seriously, you've been out of it for like a minute now! I've been trying to tell you that we should go visit the costume center next! Well...if you're feeling okay that is. We could just go home if you want," Amy replied while being concerned.

"Uh, um, no, that's okay. I'll go with you. The date's not over yet," Knuckles answered while standing up from his seat. He soon leaves while saying to Amy, "Are you coming or not?".

"Oh! I'm coming!" Amy exclaimed while feeling a little relieved that Knuckles is okay for the most part. She took her drink and popcorn and put them in the trash. Knuckles realized that he forgot to put his food and drink away. So, he went back to his seat briefly and throw them away to the trash as well. They soon left the movie theater and went to the costume center next door.

Once they got inside, they were surrounded from cool costumes to funny ones. They walked through the aisles of clothes while observing the costumes. There were changing rooms and a runway in the store to show off the costumes there. There were children playing on the runway or are taking pictures in another corner of the store. Some teens and parents were there as well. Amy likes many of the beautiful costumes. She decided to wear one to see how it looks on her. She could come back another day to buy it. She then said to Knuckles, "I'm going to wear this to see how it looks on me. I'll be back! Just keep yourself busy by looking at the costumes! Who knows? You might find a costume that suits you!".

"Ah, oh, okay. See you soon then," Knuckles said absent-mindedly while waving his hand "goodbye". Amy then ran to the changing room to test out her costume. Knuckles kept on walking around the store. He placed a hand on his forehead as he walked and looked at the costumes in a daze. He wasn't paying attention at the costumes. They don't peak his interest. However, there was one costume that stood out to him amongst the rest. He stood still and looked to his left in one of the aisles. He then spotted a costume that looked like the monster from the movie. Except this costume is more black than the monster from the movie. It was a giant, black lizard monster that looked fierce in the face. The costume-like monster is staring into Knuckles' soul. For some reason, he somehow has a strong affinity to this monster. He doesn't know why, but he somehow knows how the monster feels even if it's not real. He turned and walked towards it. He lifted the costume off the rack and held it close to him so that he is staring into the monster's eyes. The monster just stared back without blinking because it is lifeless. Knuckles only stared back while wearing a frown on his serious face. One fierce, hardened glare is staring at another fierce, hardened glare, and they are both not backing down from it, even if one of them was a costume.

_Hmmmmmmm...we really are one and the same, aren't we? We don't belong here, do we? We're just different from everyone. Nobody loves us or wants us. They want us to leave because we only get in the way or just destroy things without meaning to. It's not your fault that you turned out the way you did. It was everyone else in the world who had hurt you. You only did what you did out of self-preservation. Nothing more. I can see why you hate people. I do. I hate them too. I hate my friends, my enemies, and anyone else who tries to manipulate me, lie to me, and hurt me. I want to feel safe, but there is no one out there who I can trust completely. I want to be loved, but no one will care for me. I'm a loner, and I will always be alone just like you. No one understands us. No one understands our pain that had we tried to yell or scream out but couldn't be heard. We're just unneeded here in this world. We are ugly. **Monsters...can never be beautiful.**_

Knuckles contemplated as he stared intensely into the black monster. He didn't realize that had Amy got out of the changing room and shouting at him.

"HEY! KNUCKLES! LOOK! LOOK!" Amy shouted while waving her arms up and down. Knuckles snapped out of his thoughts and looked to his right. His eyebrows were raised as he saw Amy in a butterfly costume. His mouth was open agape as he saw how gorgeous the costume looked on her. She was twirling around in her beautiful butterfly costume while giggling. She then walked up to Knuckles with her hands behind her back.

She said, "_Weeeeeell_? How do I look? Hehehehe!".

Knuckles only stared while holding the monster costume. He was in his thoughts again. _Strange...it feels...so close...yet so far...What am I missing here?_ Knuckles pondered as he stared closely at Amy's butterfly costume.

"Aww, you're staring at me, Knuckles! Do you like it? Huh? Huh?" Amy said happily while blushing.

"Ummm, uh, yeah, sure. I like it. Whatever," Knuckles replied while being in a trance.

"Yay! Teehee, I'm glad that you like it! I'll buy this costume sometime this week! It'll be the perfect costume for me to wear on Halloween! I bet that Sonic will even like it!" Amy exclaimed cheerfully.

"Uh huh. Yeah, sure," Knuckles replied while looking at the monster costume again.

"Hmm? Do you like that costume, Knuckles? You could buy it if you want it," Amy replied with a smile.

"Ack! What?! No! I...I don't want this! I can't even pay for this! I'm low on money!" Knuckles yelled back defensively while blushing.

"Hehe, it looks like that you wanted it! You keep on staring at it! I could pay for that costume for you!" Amy responded happily.

"I said that I don't want it!" Knuckles yelled again as he felt frustrated. To prove his point, he put the costume away and crossed his arms with a grumpy look on his face. Amy just laughed at that.

"Hahahahahahahahaha! You're so silly, Knuckles! Hehehehehehe! There's nothing wrong in admitting that you** like** something! Hahahahahahaha!" Amy said while laughing.

Knuckles blushed some more and looked down to the ground in shame. He just replied, "Oh, just shut up! Just put the costume away, and let's get going! Let's go to the restaurant already! I'm feeling hungry anyway!".

"Hehehehe! Yeah, you're right! It's only 6: 45 PM now. Let's eat some dinner on top of a balcony to see the gorgeous view of Night Carnival!" Amy exclaimed excitedly while giggling a little. Amy soon turned around and went to the changing room again. She got dressed back to her normal clothes and put the costume back onto the rack. Amy and Knuckles left the store and went to left side of the EC again. They went into a restaurant that is relatively tall. It was a semi-fancy restaurant with somewhat cheap prices. It was a clean, good business because the restaurant cared about the tourists that would come here to visit the EC. So, it was convenient for Amy and Knuckles to buy their food there. They made their reservations for the top part of the building. The waiter nodded and told them to follow him up to the balcony. The three of them went up to the balcony. When they got there, Knuckles and Amy took their seats and stared at the gorgeous view. All of the lights turned on, and the neon signs and buildings looked spectacular! Amy can't help but gush at the view. The waiter gave them their menus and left them alone.

"Oh my gosh! This is amazing! Knuckles! Do you think that the place is beautiful?!" Amy yelled while she continued to gush about the view.

"Hmm, well, it looks nice. I'll give you that," Knuckles agreed while giving a small calm smile.

"I knew that you would agree! Knuckles, can I just say that this date had been lovely?! I didn't know that you could be such a romantic in your ideas for dates! Hehehe, and you said that you didn't know much about dating! Well, I'm starting to think that you're jusy feigning ignorance! Hehehehe!" Amy replied while giggling.

"Wh-What?! Hey! I was telling you the truth! I don't know what girls like! I just choose these places because well...um...I just...think that they're...uh...good places that we can have some...um...fun together," Knuckles snapped back while mumbling shyly in the end of the sentence. He suddenly felt embarrassed as he was blushing again. He really did have no idea what girls like. It was just good guessing that had pleased Amy here.

"Hehehe, you're blushing again, Knuckles! So, you really think that we would have fun at the beach yesterday and here? Man, you're even more romantic than Sonic! You really are such a catch, Knuckles! No wonder why Rouge wanted to date you in the first place!" Amy responded while beaming.

Knuckles blushed even further. He covered his face with one hand as he leaned on the table with one elbow. He groaned in embarrassment while not saying anything. He gave up trying to insist to Amy that he's not romantic at all. Amy noticed Knuckles' embarrassment and decided to change the topic to something else.

"Hmm, you know, Knuckles, I hadn't seen Sonic be around here or at Neo Green Hill at all as we went on these dates. Maybe he feels so jealous that he doesn't want to see us have fun together. Well, even if we didn't see him, I still had a good time hanging out with you lately. You really are such a good guy, Knuckles. I do hope that you will find **someone** someday. You really do deserve it," Amy said calmly.

Knuckles still didn't move his hand from his face. He kept it there as he frowned. He simply replied with a quiet, "Thank you".

Amy smiled with a sad smile as she said, "Really. I do think that **someone** will love you. Even if you can't find someone for Valentine's Day, we could still go out together just like the past few days so far. I think that it will be fun. What do you say? Do you want to go out with me that day?".

Knuckles was silent for a few minutes. The only thing that's on his mind right now was the main message that was being told at the end of the movie he saw with Amy. He pondered on that for a while. _Is it really true? Does everybody have to live with a monster like me? Do they really have to deal with me and not enjoy my company? Is this the reality that I have to live with for the rest of my life? Amy may be enjoying these dates, but does she really enjoy them for the places that we go to or for me?...No. Who am I kidding? It's obvious that she would like them even more if Sonic was the one who came up with them. She may say that I'm more romantic than him, but I know what's on her heart. She's just saying that because she wishes that Sonic will act like that. She's just trying to fill in the void in her heart with me instead of Sonic. …...And...I'm trying to do the same thing with her by trying to fit her into my heart. We...really are desperate creatures, aren't we?_

"Um, Knuckles? I said do you want to-" Amy said again, feeling worried that Knuckles hadn't said anything until he had spoken up.

"I'll go with you," Knuckles answered while hiding his face behind his hand. He is still frowning as he said that.

"Ah! Really? That's wonderful, Knuckles! I can't wait for our next date on this week's Friday night! Why don't you surprise me by taking me to a place that you like! I just know that wherever you take me will be romantic!" Amy exclaimed happily, clearly unaware of Knuckles' depressed mood.

"Yeah, it will be nice," Knuckles said with a quiet sigh.

The rest of their dinner went on pretty smoothly. Amy told the waiter that she will be the one paying for the meal once it's over. The waiter nodded as he gave them their meals. They ate their meals which were lean steaks for the two of them. Knuckles just ordered the same thing as Amy because he wasn't paying much attention to the menus. They talked some more while they ate and had enjoyed the view. Amy did talk about what she had liked about the movie she had watched. Knuckles nodded and agreed with her. He told her what he had liked about the movie too. He even said that the movie is not bad, and that it clearly deserved the reward for "Best Picture". Amy smiled and agreed with Knuckles on that. He smiled as well, and they continued talking for the rest of their meal.

It was around 8 PM that they had decided to go home after a long and tiring day. They certainly enjoyed the date, but it got pretty tiring at the end. As they left Night Carnival Zone and its Entertainment Center, they soon walked along the path towards Amy's house. Amy said that she could go home by herself, but Knuckles had insisted to stay by her for the trip as a way to protect her. Amy smiled and complimented Knuckles for being so chivalrous. He blushed at that and looked away as he walked by her side. Once they got to her house, Amy turned around and faced Knuckles. He was about to ask what else she wanted until she gave him another hug. He felt like the hug was unearned, but he returned the hug back to her. He smiled a little as he hugged her. He sometimes wondered if getting a hug from his "special someone" would feel even better than this. Amy soon let go of him and said, "Good night, Knuckles! Have a safe trip home!".

"Good night, Amy. Rest easy now," Knuckles replied with a calm smile. Amy smiled back before she turned around and walked to her door of her house. She opened the door, looked back at Knuckles, and gave him a small wave before she went inside. Knuckles waved back while smiling at her. Once he saw that she's inside, he turned around and walked back home. Today was quite a strange mess for his heart. He did enjoy himself, but at times, he felt depressed as he and Amy did activities together. He shook his head as he tried to get rid of the depressing thoughts. He had full confidence that he could spend more time with Amy tomorrow. Maybe he could convince her to just hang out at her place for the day. He could do anything to stay away from his home for the moment. Especially find more ways to avoid Rouge. Luckily, he didn't see Rouge yesterday or today either. So, he took it as a good sign. Maybe Amy was right. Maybe hanging out with friends can be fun. He surely is ready for anything this week. He certainly can't wait to hang out with Amy tomorrow!

That would be the case until what he had found out tomorrow morning.

**Annnnnd another chapter done! Will this be longest chapter in this story?! I don't know. We'll just see in later chapters. At least this will be enough for you to read back in this story again for the next few days. I'll try my best to get another chapter out. It'll take a few days to get it out so don't worry, I'll get it done soon. Also, a lot of dark stuff had been mentioned in this story, huh? Well, we are definitely into some angst territory now, and it won't stop there. The last few chapters might get even sadder. In fact, the next chapter is a flashback chapter. Certainly can't wait to read it now, huh? But please be patient. It'll come soon. Anyways, please R&R if you enjoyed this! And for some clarifications!**

**A/N 1: Yes, the name of the movie in this story, ShinG, is actually a reference to Shin Godzilla or Godzilla Resurgence. The movie being described in other paragraphs is clearly summarizing some events from the movie.**

**2: The name Neo G.U.N. Force is for my head cannon for the military in Sonic's world. After Sonic and his friends got back from Earth, Rouge applied for job as a spy in the military in Sonic's world. It was her idea to rename the government military to that name after her experience as a spy in the human world in the original G.U.N. government. So, that's why it's named like that.**

**3: Lastly, who is that "special someone" I keep mentioning? Well, you'll find that out in a future fanfic of mine. Just not this one. **


	6. Chapter 6: The Darkest Time of His Life

I Want To Be Alone On Valentine's Day

Part 6: The Darkest Time of His Life

"What?! What do you mean that you can't let me come to your house? I thought that you want me to hang out with you!" Knuckles yelled in shock as he is calling Amy on his phone.

"_(Cough) (Cough) I'm sorry, Knuckles. But, I've gotten sick. (Cough cough cough) It had gotten very cold last night. I think that I caught a cold due to the weather. I'm sorry, Knuckles, but you can't come to my house,"_ Amy replied while having a scratchy voice. She felt a bit bad that she suddenly got sick right now especially when Knuckles sounded enthusiastic about spending time with her today.

"But! Can I at least see you?! I could go to your house and help take care of you while you rest," Knuckles responded while feeling worried and a bit desperate.

"_No. It's okay. (Cough cough) Vanilla and Cream came here to check up on me and take care of me for a few days. So, I'm good. I'm sorry that you couldn't come. I couldn't risk getting you sick too," _Amy replied sadly.

Knuckles frowned as he held the phone to his head. He closed his eyes and sighed. He then replied in a disappointed tone, "A-Alright. I understand. Please take good care of yourself. Do you think that you will get better in time for our date on Valentine's Day?".

"_Hmm, yeah, I think that I'll get better in that time. I know that after three days that my fever will go down, however, I still need two extra days before I fully recover. So, I think that I'll get better in time for Valentine's Day. Again, I'm very sorry, Knuckles,"_ Amy said after she thought for a bit.

"No, no, it's fine. You don't need to apologize. You can't help it if you get sick. I'll be fine. Just do get some rest, okay?" Knuckles responded calmly.

"_Th-Thank you, Knuckles. (Cough cough cough cough) I will. Goodbye and take care of yourself too,"_ Amy replied trying to sound cheerful although coughing a lot.

"I will, and thank you Amy for caring about me. I'll try. Well, see you later then," Knuckles said trying to sound grateful.

"_See you later too. Bye,"_ Amy responded while quietly saying her goodbyes.

"Hmph. Bye," Knuckles said his goodbyes too. They both hung up after that.

Knuckles sighed again as he looked down on the small table with the phone on it while standing in front of it. His face fell into a disappointed look. His eyelids fell halfway down, and his mouth fell into a full frown. In a way, he felt hurt that his plan had backfired. Now, he dreaded that Rouge would come to visit him and question why he isn't with Amy right now. He isn't sure if he had convinced Rouge or not that he and Amy are "dating" right now. He really doesn't want to deal with her right now. He could leave the island again, but then Rouge will still ask why Amy isn't with him right now. She'll definitely bother him all day now that Amy isn't by his side. She'll certainly take advantage of that. He just shrugged and shook his head. He then turned and walked out of his shack. He closed the door to his shack and walked towards the altar of the Master Emerald. As he climbed the steps, he kept begging that Rouge won't bother him today or any day of the week. Once he got on top of the steps, he turned around and stood there while crossing his arms again. He closed his eyes as he stood there.

…...

It was quiet in the island. No birds came to the island. It was peaceful. There were no disturbances. Knuckles quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe this week will be peaceful after all.

…...

"Oh, Knuckie!" said a sultry, female voice.

_Fate...why are you so cruel to me?_ Knuckles brooded as he groaned out loud. Guess things won't be peaceful after all. Not even for two minutes.

Wing flapping can be heard a few feet in the sky. Knuckles opened his eyes and sharply looked up to the sky. There she was. His archrival and ex-girlfriend, Rouge the Bat. She was flying gracefully down while having such a cheerful, sexy expression on her face. It looked like she had been waiting all day to tease him again, and he would be right about that.

Once she got down to one of the bottom steps near Knuckles, she said haughtily, "So, how's it going lately? Are you having fun playing 'hooky' with Pinky? Why aren't you going to her right now? It could save me the trouble into stealing the emerald without a gullible echidna around".

"Can it, Batgirl! I'm not in the mood!" Knuckles said while growling at her. His face is disgruntled, and his body felt tense with anger.

"Hmph! Since **when** you're in a good mood, Knuckie-boy?" Rouge teased, already loving the banter that they're having now.

"Please leave! Besides, I can't visit Amy today! She's sick," Knuckles yelled back with annoyance in his voice. He doesn't care if Rouge knew the truth of why he isn't with Amy right now. He only wants Rouge to get out of his life.

Rouge feigned sympathy which Knuckles **hates** with his entire being. His gut felt like its churning, and it's making him sick. He knows that Rouge only acts sympathetic for either two reasons. One, where she just does it as she is setting up for a joke which he hates. Or two, which he hates even more, whenever she wants something from him, but she must earn it by playing as the "supporter" of the situation. He once believed that Rouge genuinely cares for him at one point. But now, he could only think about pain he had received in the past during his relationship with her.

Rouge then put her hands on her hips and replied silkily, "Aww, that's too bad, sweetie. You probably miss her, don't you? I'm sure that she'll be alright on her own. She has her friends, doesn't she? They'll take good care her. Just like** I'll take care** **of you**, _Knuckie-boy_. You know that I still love you with all my heart and would do anything for you that will make you **very happy** if you just let me back in. You must still feel all alone and empty, don't you? Who could blame you? **You** were the only one who had pushed me out of your life and are feeling miserable without me as a result. You only have yourself to blame. Why don't you give me another chance? I'm sure that I'll get rid of the pain in your heart. You know that I'm your true love and only partner in life, Knuckles. So, why don't you get down on your knees and tell me that you love me? Hmm?".

Knuckles gritted his teeth as he continued to growl at her as she talks. He has his hands down on his sides and clenches them so hard as he heard Rouge's **Every. Single. Word.** His face is so contorted that it looks intimidating. Unfortunately for Knuckles, Rouge isn't fazed by it at all. She is used to Knuckles looking angry all the time. So, she isn't afraid of him. He brooded as he stared fiercely at Rouge's playful eyes. _Like heck that I will do that! The only reason that I left you in the first place is because I had found out you were using me for self-profit! For selfish pleasure! You don't really love me! You used me only to have pleasure by dating me, trying to seduce me to get physical with you, and for letting my guard down so that you will steal the Master Emerald from me without me knowing it! You never really cared about me or the seriousness that a relationship requires! You only see dating as another game for you to play with me! Also, instead of me being a key player in this metaphorical game of yours, I ended up being a __**pawn piece**__ in this game! A PAWN! You don't see me as your equal! You think that you're better than me and deserve more respect and love than me! __**THAT**__ was why I had broke up with you in the first place. And to think that I had even trusted you at one point, I __**hated**__ myself even more after that scarring experience! I'll never love you! NEVER! NEVER! NEVER! NEVER! NEVER! NEVER! NEVER! NEVER! NEVER! NEVER! __**NEVER!**_

_-Flashback to Several Months Ago_-

It was peaceful n Sonic's world after Sonic and the gang had defeated the Metarex. It was about three weeks after they got back from space. Sonic, Amy, and Cream were doing their best to comfort and to encourage Tails after his painful experience of losing Cosmo. Knuckles also sends his condolences through writing cards and letters to him. It's his way of comforting Tails without meeting him personally. Tails understood that Knuckles has to watch the Master Emerald and couldn't come to visit him. So, he appreciated Knuckles' efforts of comforting him.

Meanwhile, Knuckles had spent his time contemplating his past experiences from Earth and from space now since things were going back to normal. He is sitting next to the Master Emerald as it is repaired now naturally due to these past three weeks. He doesn't mind the peaceful atmosphere at all. He needed it as he reflected on his past, and the events that had happened from it. The one adventure that he couldn't get off of his mind was the one with Chaos. He had no idea that his own clan that had evoked the wrath of the monster and killed most of his people because of it. He finally understood the reason why he is a guardian in the first place. He also understood why Angel Island is off the ground in the first place. However...he wished that he had never known the bitter truth to that.

_This place...is a prison. All for me. Me...a prisoner. That is who I really am. I'm guilty before the God of Destruction. Tikal might have sealed him in the Master Emerald, but he is judging me from beyond this world. My people deserved punishment. As do I. I'm...not a hero. I'm the real monster here. Not Chaos. Not...Chaos. I have no place in this world. I don't belong here. Being a guardian is a punishment, and I must carry it out no matter what. I don't deserve to be happy. To live a normal life like Sonic or Tails. To live a life with meaning. Why do I have to exist just to be punished? Why? Why can't I enjoy life as myself? Why do I have to keep up with the role of being a serious guardian? Why can't I just be myself for a change without getting any strange looks or being made fun of? Also, if my life is only about being a prisoner, then what does it matter to being a "guardian" anyway?! I'll die at some point, and thus, my "life sentence" had been carried out! My duty of being a guardian could end, and my duty will still be fulfilled if I had died. My role here is to be a prisoner, and technically, I will still be successful in succeeding that role after I die. Is that what being a "guardian" is about? Just...what is a "guardian" anyway? What is its true meaning? Guarding something until you die? Being faithful to your job without any reward or recognition of your efforts in protecting something valuable? A prisoner being trapped forever protecting something that __**anyone else**__ could do? Or is it...being a__** monster**__ who's only source of fulfillment is protecting a gem which could easily being taken and used at any time? A monster who doesn't deserve love from anyone all because he is busy protecting a gem which no one in the world cares about except him!...Why? Why does it always have to be me?...Just why?_

Knuckles brooded as he is closing his eyes and crossing his arms while he is leaning on the Master Emerald. In a strange way, he can't help but feel numb all of a sudden about protecting the Master Emerald. He somehow lost all of the fire that had made him feel passionate about guarding the jewel in the first place. He now feels indifferent about having the emerald getting stolen or not. He just...doesn't even care anymore.

A few minutes later, Knuckles hears the all too familiar wing flapping of a certain bat whom he greatly dislikes. He sighed and opened his eyes to see Rouge landing on top of the altar. He slowly gets up and crosses his arms at her. Normally, he would say something to her, but right now...he doesn't even care that she's here.

Rouge, being oblivious to Knuckles' inner turmoil, said to him in a seducing tone, "Why hello there, Knuckles. I see that _my_ emerald had fully repaired itself! Would you be a dear and give it to me?".

"..." Knuckles replied in silence. He just stood there staring at Rouge with a dead expression on his face.

"What is this? Are you giving me the silent treatment? Aren't you going to yell at me and tell me to not touch your precious emerald?" Rouge replied teasingly while having her hands on her hips.

"..." Knuckles still didn't say anything. He just continued to stare at Rouge.

"_Hello?_ Earth to gullible echidna here? Are you listening to what I'm saying? I am going to take that emerald of yours, and there is nothing that you can do about it! So, come on now. You know that you** want** to fight me," Rouge said again while swinging her body seductively to him, challenging him to fight her.

"..." Knuckles yet again didn't say anything to that. Rouge then changed her demeaner to annoyance.

"Hey! I'm talking to you! What's your deal anyway, Knucklehead?! I'm here on your territory, challenging you to a fight in order for me to steal the emerald from you, and you're not saying anything?! Just what is with you today?! Hmm?" Rouge yelled while feeling annoyed with the stubborn echidna.

"..." Knuckles refused to speak. He instead looked down to the ground in a depressed manner. He stood there idly and not saying anything to Rouge. He was frowning not in anger or in frustration but in sadness. He felt dull. He felt empty. She was right. Normally, he would be angry with her and tell her to leave him alone or pick a fight with her. But today, he just didn't want to do any of that. It sounds...tiring to him. He took a deep, tiresome sigh as he continues to look depressed.

Rouge now noticed the change in Knuckles' demeaner. Her face changed from annoyance to concern. She was used to Knuckles' anger being the normal reaction, but sadness? She didn't even had a clue to help him. She just came to get a decent fight and tease Knuckles for a bit, not come to a depressed echidna who doesn't care about fighting her anymore. In her mind, fighting him was a part of her lustful desires. A change in her normal routine is a threat to Rouge. If anything changes to prevent her to get what she wants, then she will do anything to overcome that challenge. Especially do **something **that she wouldn't normally do but will do it so that she will get her way again.

She then decided to change tactics and be sympathetic to him. "Sweetie. Just what is going on with you? You can tell me. I'll-" Rouge said softly while acting as genuine as possible.

"Just take it," Knuckles interrupted quietly while looking down.

"Wha-! What?! What did you just say?!" Rouge yelled as she felt very surprised by his words. Did she...did she hear that correctly? Knuckles is giving up on the emerald without a fight? She quickly pinched herself on the cheek to see if she was dreaming or not. After all, not in a million years that Knuckles, the most hard-headed, short-tempered echidna that Rouge had ever met, would give up on the Master Emerald. There is no possible way that he would do it. Not even after hearing the multiple accounts that Knuckles wanted to go back home to his island while being stuck on Earth with his friends. Having him give up on protecting the Master Emerald all of a sudden is...weird. Strange! Ridiculous to the point that it makes you want to laugh.

So, Rouge tried to lay it off and decided to tease him again. "Oh, sweetie! You're such a card! You really aren't serious are you, sweetums? Of coarse not! Even I think that you're not **that** dumb! Just drop the act already, Knucklehead! I know that it's just a joke! So, quit playing it like it is!" Rouge teased playfully.

"I said just take it," Knuckles replied again in a bored tone.

Rouge then felt annoyed again as she said, "Um, excuse me? Do you take me for a fool? I know that you're going to get mad at me the second that I take it away from you. So, will you just fight me al-".

"OH, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD, ROUGE! I SAID JUST TAKE IT ALREADY!" Knuckles shouted as he felt angry now.

Rouge flinched in surprise. _He...really did sounded serious. What is going on?_ Rouge pondered in confusion. To prove his point, Knuckles turned around, lifted up the Master Emerald, turned around again, and placed it in front of Rouge. He then stepped aside from the emerald so that Rouge could see his serious expression. He crossed his arms again and narrowed his eyes at her. He then said, "There. Now take it. I **mean** it".

Rouge just simply stared at Knuckles in confusion and in curiosity. She was really clueless as to why Knuckles had a sudden change of heart. After all, three weeks ago, he wouldn't even dream to have anything bad happen to the Master Emerald if he got destroyed or not. It looked as if it was his own children being killed! But for him to say that he wants Rouge to take it is baffling to her. She knows that she wouldn't get anywhere if she doesn't ask what's wrong with him. She needs information. Information that will be useful in the future. So, she dropped the seductive act and then asked gently, "Knuckles, tell me what's wrong. I'm being serious. I won't know why you're giving your emerald to me so freely if I don't understand your reasoning. Please tell me. I beg of you".

Knuckles sighed again as he realizes that he have to explain his true thoughts to Rouge. He won't explain everything to her because he doesn't trust her. However, he should at least explain his actions to her. So, he told her the truth. He looked to his right and clutched his left arm as he explained in a depressed tone.

"I'm tired, Rouge. I'm tired of doing my job, okay? What's the point in getting angry at you if in the end I'll get the emerald back, and that the cycle repeats itself day in and day out? What is the point in working so hard in protecting an emerald where anyone could easily steal it? I'm not good at my job, Rouge! I had trained in my entire life to protect a stupid gem just so that I could easily get tricked and let it be stolen from me! And for what reward do I get for my efforts?! A "thank you"? A reward? Respect? Love? Recognition? No. None of that at all! That's why I'm so sick of my job, Rouge! That's why I want you to just take the emerald! I don't care for the stupid thing anymore! I hate my job! And I hate myself even more for **who** I really am! I'm nothing more than a prisoner who is forced to guard a stupid emerald that no one even cares about! No one respects the power or usage that the Master Emerald holds! No cares that the emerald could potentially destroy this world if it got into the wrong hands! That is why I quit! I quit being the Guardian of the Master Emerald! The Knuckles that you know in the past is now gone forever!** He is dead!** The old Knuckles that you know is **dead**! Something in my heart had died, Rouge. And it doesn't look like that anything will revive it anytime soon. So, just take the emerald, Rouge. Take it and never give it back to me," Knuckles spoke solemnly, feeling hurt and sorrow.

Rouge only gasped at this revelation. She had never heard Knuckles speak so negatively before. She never had expected Knuckles to take this turn. She could only blink in shock and in even more confusion. She then replied after being silent for a while, "Um, are you really sure about this, Knuckles? What about Angel Island? Don't you care about what will happen to it? You know that it will fall into the ocean without the Master Emerald's power. Also, what will your friends think if they saw your island not floating anymore? Don't you care about that as well?".

"Tch. As if my 'friends' actually care about me! I don't care about what they think! If they are surprised that I'm not doing my job, then so be it! Besides, the island won't sink into the ocean once it falls. It will only be just another island floating in the ocean. Nothing to be concerned about. Although it will create tidal waves to incoming land, so, maybe some damage is to be expected but not catastrophic enough to be worrisome," Knuckles answered dully.

"Hmmm, I see. But wait. What about you? Are you going to leave your home and stay somewhere else?" Rouge replied as she felt curious to what Knuckles is planning.

"No. I will stay here. After all, it is still my home technically. Even though it's more of a prison than a home. I'll stay here regardless. I do have a shack here in my island. I might stay in there more frequently than out here. However, I do plan to go out more and just be by myself with no one around me. I just want to keep meditating to myself once I'm alone in the outside world. That is all I plan to do now," Knuckles answered sadly.

Rouge sighed as her eyes lowered downwards. She really hadn't got anything to say that will help him change his mind. She simply asked quietly, "Just...what made you decide to quit, Knuckles? Please tell me. I need to know why before I could accept this".

Knuckles didn't say anything for a while. He soon shut his eyes as he answered while grimacing, "Nothing has changed, Rouge. I had lived my entire life guarding the emerald, and nothing interesting had changed in my personal life. Before you object by saying that we went to Earth and to space as proof as something changing in my life, let me just say for the record that I'm still the same person that I was years ago when I went to Earth and to space! Besides, those adventures were really Sonic's adventures! Those adventures weren't really even mine! I didn't want to leave my island in the first place! I didn't want an adventure! But I here I was being forced into an adventure beyond my control! Also, I hadn't changed ever since we got back from space, so, what does that say about me?! …...Nothing in my life had changed for the better, and it will stay that way for the rest of my life".

Rouge then raised her eyebrows at that. _So...that's the reason he had decided to quit, huh? Because nothing had changed in his personal life? …...Hmm, this is bad. If Knuckles doesn't have the passion to protect the Master Emerald like he used to, then how am I going to get a thrill by stealing the emerald from him if he doesn't chase me? How will I ever get a kick out of that? I want the chase! I want the fighting! I want the challenge! …...If Knuckles doesn't change his mind, then what purpose will stealing the emerald be? I want to steal it just to have the satisfaction for overcoming the challenge! I love jewels, but I love challenges more! If I can't get a thrill in stealing the emerald, then what else should I do with him then?...Hmmm...wait! I knoooow! Oho, now this will be fun. I never thought that I will see the day that I will get to do this, buuuuut since Knuckles' guard is down and is feeling so vulnerable right now, I guess that it's about time to fulfill my **other** desires for my own pleasure. I wonder if Knuckles will like it? Well, it's time to find out. _Rouge pondered while looking away from Knuckles then turning back at him with a mischievous smile.

Knuckles soon looked back at Rouge after he realized that he didn't hear her say anything for a while. When he looked back, his eyebrows were lifted up as he saw Rouge's lustful and mischievous look on her face. She is smiling playfully and has her hands on her hips. She is fluttering her eyelashes at him, and Knuckles felt confused yet nervous. He doesn't know what Rouge is planning now. However, whatever she has in mind, he doesn't care anymore. He decided that he will let her do her worst to him because...what's the point?

He then asked with a confused look, "What? What is it? Is there something on my face?".

Rouge simply smiled back. She soon walked slowly to Knuckles. Knuckles didn't move from his place. He didn't even flinch when Rouge gently touched his arm with her hand and stroked it. He looked into her turquoise eyes with curiosity. Rouge then put her hand onto Knuckles' other arm and rubbed it gently as well. Knuckles doesn't know what's happening or why Rouge is doing this, but he doesn't care. He isn't planning to fight her anyway. Besides...he kind of liked the feeling that he's having. He is secretly attracted to Rouge whether he admits it or not, and he did wonder if Rouge actually cares for him. It was fruitless endeavor to think about, but he did hoped that Rogue will change for the better and treat him better than she already had. Rouge then held onto his arms and looked straight into his violet eyes with passion and lust. Knuckles looked back without any care on his face. Rouge then decided to make her move and leaned into him and kissed him on the lips. Knuckles was a bit surprised by this, but he didn't show it on his face. He closed his eyes and let Rouge kiss him. It was a gentle kiss. Nothing too over the top or dramatic. Just one good peck on his lips. They kissed for a minute until Rouge pulled away with a seductive smile on her face. Knuckles didn't smile, but his eyelids were opened halfway as he looked at Rouge curiously.

Rouge then said seductively, "Well, well, well. It seems that you're a good kisser after all. I like that in a man. Say, Knuckles, since you don't have any plans it seems, why don't you come to my place, Club Rouge, on Friday night? We could try dating if you like. Since you have quit being a guardian of the Master Emerald, then I'll stop stealing it from you as an exchange. Don't get the wrong idea. I'm still a thief. Always have been and always will be, but I won't steal the emerald from you if you don't care about it. So, instead of me coming to you to steal the emerald and fight, I'll come to see **you and only you**. You can chase me around if you feel like it. Trust me honey, I think that us dating will be a great change in your routine. Maybe that is the one change that you need in your personal life. It will be fun! So, what do you say, _my_ Knuckie? Do you want me as your girlfriend? I could use a **strong, tough** boyfriend around".

Knuckles listened to Rouge's words carefully. He hadn't thought that she will be the one to ask him to date her. He had never thought that day will come. He still frowned but nodded slowly as a way to say "yes". Rouge smiled playfully as she said, "Good. Now take care of yourself, sweetie. You can keep the emerald. I'll be waiting for you. So, goodbye, Knuckie".

With that, she gave Knuckles a quick peck on the cheek this time and let go of him. She turned around and gave a mock salute at him before she flown off from the island. Knuckles just watched Rouge go as he looked up into the sky with his arms still crossed. He still had a frown on his face as he kept looking up. Once he saw that Rouge was away, he then looked towards the emerald beside him. He still can't believe that had happened. He couldn't believe that Rouge really didn't take the emerald with her. He took a deep sigh and turned around to face the emerald. He lifted the huge emerald up again and placed it back in its original place in the middle of the altar. He then placed a hand onto the emerald and looked deeply into it with depressed eyes. After a few minutes of staring, he took his hand off of it and turned around. He walked towards the steps of the altar and sit down on top of the first top step. He put his hands behind him on the ground and looked back up into the sky.

...

It was strangely quiet again. Since there were no disturbances, Knuckles went back to brooding again. _Just what was that all about? Why did Rouge kiss me? Did she...did she admit to liking me? Hmm...I suppose that was my first kiss. Huh. So, that's what kissing is about, huh? …...But you know...the weird part about that is...that kiss...felt so cold to me. I don't think that it was the lipstick either. It really didn't feel warm. It felt strangely...empty and cold. It wasn't as exciting as I had hoped it would be. Well...I know that I like her, but shouldn't I feel excited that she had kissed me or that she's dating me? …...Why do I feel so uncaring towards her? I should feel happy. I should__** be **__happy. Hmmmm...maybe this is what love really is. Maybe this is how dating someone really is like. Hmmmmmmmm..._

Regardless of these thoughts, he decided to make the best of his new relationship with Rouge.

-_At Club Rouge_-

It was 8 PM at Club Rouge. She had opened her new business after a week coming back from space. It became a huge hit in the first two weeks of business. Rouge still had her club open. She hired some waiters and bar tenders to look after the place while she is in her private room upstairs. She is planning to date Knuckles there in her room. She is downstairs now, waiting for Knuckles to show up. About a minute later, she saw Knuckles walking inside the building while looking around the area for Rouge and for seeing what the place looks like. It was a clean and tidy place with some bright colors in the bar. It was Rouge's own aesthetic touch. There were some customers there, but he paid them no mind as he searched for Rouge.

"Hey there, Knuckles," Rouge said seductively from behind.

Knuckles jolted as he heard Rouge talking from behind. He turned around and growled at her as he snapped back, "Don't sneak up on me like that! You do realize that is the one sole reason why I had to keep being on guard all the time! I don't like having my boundaries being crossed without my permission!".

"Heehee, you didn't say **that** to me when I had kissed you, now did you?" Rouge replied while snickering at him.

"I! Well! I! I just! Ah! Um! Urgh!" Knuckles stammered quickly while looking flustered. He looked away from Rouge in embarrassment.

"Hahahaha! You may have quit being a guardian. Knuckie, but you're still the same old knucklehead that I love," Rouge replied while giggling playfully.

"Grrrrrr! Why do you always try to embarrass me?! I...wait! You said that you love me?!" Knuckles snapped angrily while blushing before he looked confused at Rouge's statement.

"Mmhmm, it's true, Knuckles. I always had my eye on you. Say, why don't I show it to you in my room upstairs. This place is not only a bar, but also like an apartment. So, my room is upstairs, naturally. So, come with me then, and I'll show you how much I love you," Rouge answered seductively as she stood very close to Knuckles' flushed face.

Knuckles blushed even more as his eyes went wide in shock, and his heart was beating very fast. He isn't sure if he should object going to her room or not out of invasion of her privacy. But before Knuckles could object, he felt his hand being pulled by Rouge as she dragged him up to her room. He decided to allow Rouge to take him there. Once they got inside her room, Rouge locked her door to shut out any onlookers who could stumble into their affair unannounced. The room was also clean. It was decorated elegantly by having black leather chairs and couches. There was a red velvet bed in the back of the room. The floor is made out of redwood. There were pink and purple pillows around. There were also some dark blue blankets around. A huge plasma screen television was on the far-right corner of the room where the couches were. The television can be seen even from the bed at the back. Also, there were some red carpeting around the floor near the bed. On the far-left side of the room, there was a mini kitchen with a small fridge and counter. Knuckles was surprised on how well maintained the place is. He honestly thought that her room would be filled to the brim with stolen gems of all kinds. Although he figured that she must have hidden her stash of stolen jewels in a hidden place so that no one could find them. As he kept looking around the room, he muttered a compliment to Rouge, "Nice place you have here. I never thought that you could decorate this nicely".

"Oh, I do have a good eye in design. At some point in my life, I wanted to become a home designer. Although getting a clean job like that won't happen now since I've started my career as a thief. Although I did got a job in our home government as a spy. I guess that my experience on Earth got its merits after all," Rouge answered coolly.

Knuckles turned around to look at Rouge with an eyebrow raised. He never knew that Rouge wanted to live a normal life before she did her crimes as a thief. He supposed that every person as a story to them. Even criminals. He then said, "You wanted to be a home designer?".

Rouge smiled at him and answered, "Why yes, sweetie. I used to have dreams of what I wanted to do when I got older years ago. Being a home designer is one of them. I love decorating rooms that have my own flair of tastes. Desiring to become a fashion designer is also very high on the list because I love clothes so much. Shopping is one of my favorite hobbies outside of stealing jewels of coarse. Even if those dreams had failed, I could go at it being a make-up salesperson due to my expertise in putting on my own make-up. But alas, my own dreams had died at least three years ago when I just made my first heist. Why it was a big red ruby that I first stole from a jewelry store. After that, it was crime after crime that I soon made a name for myself, and thus, my future dreams were ruined due to that decision. People won't hire me due to my criminal record. So, that's why I had decided to get a job as a spy when I came back to our home planet. Not only that, but I also bought this bar by selling off all of my stolen treasure to the black market for some quick cash. I did that so that I could get a home of my own. Very impressive, wouldn't you say?".

Knuckles didn't say anything. He was speechless that Rouge would already open up about a part of her past right now. It did explain a lot about her personality with that story. He could definitely see how she would be interested in being a fashion designer or a make-up salesperson due to how she presents herself regularly. It almost seems like she is making her life all about her, especially in her interests. _Huh. How typical._ Knuckles thought as he frowned a little.

"Say there, Knuckie. Why don't we just sit down on the couch to get more comfortable? I have a lot of stories to tell you. Do you want to hear them?" Rouge spoke sweetly while fluttering her eyelashes at him.

Knuckles then shrugged casually and walked over to the black leather couch. He sat on the right side of the couch while Rouge sat on the left. She soon scooted closer to Knuckles. He raised his eyebrows at her as he noticed that Rouge is getting closer to him. He then noticed that Rouge is too close to him. He then scooted a little away. Yet Rouge went closer to him. He soon raised an objection. "H-Hey! Hang on! Could you stay a few feet away from me? You're getting too close to me! You're invading my space!".

"Aww, Knuckie. We're a couple now. We're supposed to get physically close to show affection to one another. Don't be shy now and push me away. Come on. You know that you want to feel close and to feel secure. Why not you let me sit close to you? We could cuddle if you want," Rouge replied in a sly tone.

Knuckles then felt embarrassed and irritated as he turned his head around and put up his fists at her. He then yelled, "**No! Way!** Back off Rouge! I don't feel comfortable enough to do that with you!".

Rouge giggled as she replied, "Hahahaha, oh, Knuckie. What am I going to have to do with you to make you feel affectionate towards me? Geez, if you're this bad now, then how am I going to convince you to 'do it' with me?".

"Do what?" Knuckles asked obliviously with a cocked eyebrow.

"Oh, you're so naïve, Knuckles! What I meant is..." Rouge replied while smirking. She leaned in closer towards Knuckles' head to whisper something to his hidden ears. Once Knuckles had heard what Rouge had whispered about, Knuckles blushed a scarlet red and looked like he was about to throw up.

"WHA-AH! Ah! Ah...ACK!" Knuckles stuttered while feeling like he should run away in cowardice. Of all the things that Knuckles was scared of the most aside from ghosts, is well...doing "the birds and the bees" for the first time. He honestly wouldn't care if he was called a coward because of that. He had some standards to live by. Having "that" while being unmarried is definitely not on his list of standards. He is a man of respect. He wouldn't allow himself to take advantage of a woman's body even if the woman like Rouge is desirous of it.

Rouge just laughed at Knuckles' reaction there. "Hahahahahahahaha! Oh, man, Knuckles! You should see that shocked expression of yours! It's priceless! Ahahahahahahahaha! You're such a prune, Knucklehead! Hahahahahahahahaha!".

"Hey! I don't care about what you say to me! I will never take advantage of a lady's...er...um….**purity** like that! I don't know what kind of man that you think I am, but I am never going along with your ideas! It goes against my morals!" Knuckles defended while getting more embarrassed and angry at Rouge.

Rouge smirked playfully at him and replied, "Who ever told you that I am **pure**? I never said that".

Knuckles blanched as he thought about the implications that Rouge had just admitted to. Rouge then laughed even harder at that. She then replied, "Ahahahahahahahahaha! I'm kidding! I'm kidding! Sheesh, Knuckie-boy, you really do take everything that I say seriously. Has someone ever told you to loosen up a little? I'm not just talking about your sense of humor although that **is** something that you should work on. I'm talking about loosening up your morals a little. You don't need to be a goodie-two-shoes all the time. Last time I've checked, didn't you try to fight against Sonic and Tails the first time they had showed up on your island?".

Knuckles' eyes went wide until he furrowed them in anger. He then yelled defensively, "I only did that because I thought they were my enemies at the time! I didn't know that Dr. Eggman was tricking me at the time! Just because I was antagonistic at them that time doesn't excuse my actions that day!".

"Well, yeah, I guess that's true. However, you are still Sonic's bitter rival to this day, aren't you? So, what's that about not excusing your behavior? Or are you going to say next that being his rival doesn't count towards being a good boy?" Rouge said while teasing him as she shrugged.

"I! I...I! That is! Arrrrrgh! Shut up! You're annoying!" Knuckles yelled while feeling frustrated. He looked away while crossing his arms and pouting as he felt upset that he had lost the argument on that one.

"Ooooh geez, is that your comeback for that statement, Knuckles? I must say. That was a pretty lame retort just then. Are you having trouble arguing with me now since you've quit being a guardian? Are your fighting skills weak now since you're in love with me?" Rouge said coolly while teasing him some more.

"I...WHAAAAAAAAAT?!" Knuckles shouted as he jumped near to the edge of the couch's right side. His eyes went as wide as saucers, and his face is completely red. He felt mortified as he stared at Rouge dumbfoundedly. Rouge had the biggest grin on her seductive face.

"Well? Isn't it true that you had liked me for a while? I already had confessed my feelings towards you. Why don't you confess your feelings now? You know that I am yours, Knuckles. Me and no one else," Rouge said in a sultry tone while scooting closer to Knuckles.

Knuckles felt nervous and afraid. He doesn't know what to say or do. He just looked at Rouge like a fish does. His heart is pounding so fast that he isn't sure that it was just nervousness or infatuation. Rouge then grabbed one of Knuckles' hands and pulled him closer to her. When he could finally react again, he then shouted loudly, "CAN WE PLEASE MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SUBJECT HERE?! I HAD ABOUT ENOUGH OF THIS!".

"'You have enough of this'? I'm sorry, Knuckles, but I don't believe you. I think that you hadn't have enough of this. Or either..._this_," Rouge continued in her sultry tone before she pulled Knuckles in for another kiss on the lips.

Knuckles tried to pull back, but the kiss still enveloped him. It was nice, not amazing, but nice at least. He soon calmed down and closed his eyes. He didn't have any desire to further the kiss. He just let Rouge do all the work instead. Although in the back of his mind, he was puzzled as to why he had no desire to kiss Rouge more passionately. After all, if he really was in love with Rouge like she had boldly claimed that he was, then why isn't he kissing back or wanting to hold her as she does this? It was weird to him. Rouge then pulled back from Knuckles and smirked at him.

"_Weeeell_? Are you calm now, Knuckie? Are you ready to tell me your secret feelings for me?" Rouge said softly while looking into his eyes.

Knuckles didn't say anything but just stared at Rouge with a little frown on his face. Rouge simply sighed as she then let go of Knuckles' hand. She then rolled her eyes and looked at him in annoyance.

"Okay, fine. We'll change the topic now. Anyways, let's talk more about me then. I'm sure that you're more curious now after I had told you about my glamorous self, huh?" Rouge said with a wave of her hand at Knuckles as she leaned back to her own side of the couch. Knuckles breathed a sigh of relief seeing that Rouge had dropped the inappropriate subject. _Thank goodness! I really do not want to discuss any more embarrassing subjects with her. She is rather blunt in telling rather inappropriate claims it seems. Uuuugh. I don't know if I'm ever going to be comfortable with that._ Knuckles brooded while leaning back on his side of the couch in relief.

"Sooooo, where should I start? Hmmm...oh! I know! Let me tell you about this one time that I had distracted the security guards with my _topless_ chest!" Rouge said excitedly while smiling at Knuckles.

"ROOOOOOOUUUUGGGGGEE!" Knuckles shouted out of the top of his lungs as he was soon horribly confined to the embarrassing stories that Rouge has. Well...embarrassing for Knuckles to be precise.

The date went on for a few hours in her room. Rouge will tell story after story about her life as a thief before she had met Knuckles. Some of the stories were interesting while others are horribly embarrassing to him. Still, he noticed that he hadn't even told anything about himself to her. He tried several times to get a word in about something about himself, but Rouge would either cut him off by kissing him on the lips or cheek to shut him up or she would say to him something on the lines of, "Honey, you're cute and all, but you're honestly boring. Now let me tell you about this!". It went on for a while before Knuckles felt tired and finally interrupted Rouge by saying, "It was nice talking to you, Rouge, but I have to get going. It's late, and I want to go home".

Rouge frowned and said, "Are you really sure that you want to leave? You know that you don't care about the emerald anymore. Why don't you stay here in my place for now? It could be your new home!".

Knuckles suddenly stood up from the couch in shock by that offer. He shook his head and yelled, "What?! No way! I'm not staying here for you! I need to get going! Sorry, but goodbye, Rouge!".

Knuckles was about to leave until he heard sniffling from Rouge. He soon turned around and what he saw he couldn't believe with his eyes. But he saw Rouge crying openly in front of him. He could see tears in her eyes as she watched him. She then said while crying, "Oh! So, is that the thanks I get by offering you a good time?! (Sniff) You know what?! You're such a big jerk! (Sob) I...I had poured out my soul to you! My life as a thief to you! And this is the thanks I get by spending time with you?! (Sniff) You're...you're so mean to me! I'm trying my hardest to get closer to you by bonding with you, and you just decide to leave me after that?! Knuckles... (Sob)…...you realize that I'm the only person here who really cares for you, and you're abandoning your only source of comfort in your toughest time of your life! Couldn't you at least try to live with me? Just this once? (Sniff Sniff) (Sob)".

Knuckles suddenly felt guilty. He didn't think that Rouge will care at all if he had left. However, now that he had heard what Rouge had went through, he soon feels like he should be there for her. Being a thief wasn't easy for her it seems. He did found out that she suffers from abandonment issues since her parents took all of the money and goods with them and left Rouge all alone. She was soon poor and lived with her abusive relatives. Her relatives were also poor too. She learned to be secretive and learned to be independent without the guidance of her relatives'. She had no choice but to run away from her relatives and learn to steal things to get food and money. Thus, the reveal of one of the biggest reasons that she had stolen jewels was because she gets lots of money by selling them to the black market just like she did again by buying out this old bar. After he had heard that, he can't help but pity her. Maybe she is a good person inside but was forced to live a corrupt life.

Eventually, Knuckles sighed as he thought. _I guess that her needs are important than mine. What am I really going to do tomorrow since I'm done being a guardian? Apparently, nothing. I really got nothing better to do anyway. So, what's the point in going home? Besides, if Eggman does come to steal the emerald, then I'll tell Rouge that I'm going to briefly leave to kick his butt and come back after I had retrieved the emerald back. Yes, I am done being a guardian. But being a hero is another story. I suppose that Rouge will understand. I won't be surprised if she asks me to come with me if the emerald is involved with Eggman's schemes. She still loves it after all this time I had guarded it from her. Sigh. She really doesn't know when to give up, does she?_

Knuckles then looked down to the ground as he said, "Fine. I'll stay, but no funny stuff while we're sleeping!".

Rouge immediately stopped crying as she exclaimed cheerfully, "Ooooh! Knuckie! How sweet of you to stay with me! Alright then, since you are going to be a prune about it, I'll keep my promise and keep my hands to myself as I sleep next to you. Are you going to be fine with that?".

"Yes, th-thank you, R-Rouge," Knuckles thanked Rouge awkwardly. He isn't used to thanking Rouge of anything. It didn't feel natural for him to do so.

"Aww, you really are shy, Knuckie! Anyways, I'm going to go downstairs and close the club for the night. Then I'll go and change into my nightclothes. I'll be right back. Make yourself comfortable on the bed!" Rouge replied playfully.

Knuckles soon got out of the way and let Rouge walk to her door. She opened and closed it shut. Knuckles then walked to the red bed at the back. He soon took the left side of the bed and got under the covers quickly. He then laid down his head down on the pillows as he tried to go to sleep. However, he can't help his thoughts swirling in his mind.

_Just...what was that all about? Why did I give in so easily? Was it because I felt so guilty for trying to leave her even after I had heard her story? And why...do I feel sick to my stomach all of a sudden? Did I stay because I love her or...did I do it because I feel so lonely right now and just wanted Rouge to fill in the void in my heart? Mmmmmm..._

Knuckles hadn't realized yet, but he soon fell asleep quickly after a few minutes.

-_Many Months Later_-

As several months went by, Knuckles' and Rouge's relationship kept on moving forward. However, Knuckles strangely felt that they weren't making any progress in their relationship. He felt that it was still the same even before they had started dating. He found it very suspicious that he wasn't feeling very close to Rouge even though Rouge practically told him everything about herself. She showed him all of her favorite movies which were romantic comedies. He had learned to hate how cheesy and unfunny they are after watching them dozens and dozens of times. He had learned to hate romantic comedies now thanks to her. She brought Knuckles to the mall often to go on to shopping sprees. He had learned to hate shopping too since Rouge will not only take too long to pick out several clothes, but she will also make him watch her be in revealing, lustful outfits which he quickly gets embarrassed about. He was forced to comment on what he thinks on them. Usually, he will get a whack on the head for being too blunt on his comments at times. Not only that, but he was also forced to be the one to carry all of Rouge's bags and stuff she had bought because she said, "Oh, why do I need to carry them when I have such a kind, strong echidna to do it for me?". Even he found that hysterical considering how often Rouge would want to do things herself. He saw that as her way of using him. He figured that maybe once or twice is fine, but having him doing the carrying all the time while Rouge carries nothing is ridiculous to him. It may be a small nitpick, but there are a lot of small nitpicks, which combined together makes the whole experience unbearable.

For example, they did announce to his friends that they are dating, and his friends were a bit surprised but were supportive of him to date her. However, the problem came when Rouge uses her time to spread gossip and embarrassing stories that he and Rouge did together. **That **was what had went out of line. She had told them multiple times that they had "did it" when clearly, they haven't thanks to him protesting to go through with it all the time. He had to clarify to them many times that it's not true, and when he had confronted Rouge about this, she just passed it off saying, "Oh, it's only a joke, Knuckie" or "I'm only playing around. There's no need to get so uptight all the time". He soon wondered then if Rouge had really respected his privacy or his boundaries. He had these doubts for months, and his doubts keep on coming considering how often where Rouge will kiss him unexpectedly or tried to be flirty with him by touching him inappropriately without his consent.

Even the dates they seem to go to were boring to him. It may just be his own problem, but he just couldn't get any enjoyment from their dates. She would take him to some fancy restaurants or to just some cafés. They weren't wrong in themselves, but somehow, he felt numb to the whole experience. He couldn't remember if he had ever laughed or smiled during those dates. It also doesn't help that they would also go to casinos and dance clubs as Rouge's way for having fun on these other dates. He can tell that Rouge had loved going to these places considering how happy she is when she's at Casino Park for example. However, he can't enjoy them. Rouge may think that it's fun because she said, "This is where adults go to for fun", but even he as an "adult" could think that it's boring. She did try to get him to try gambling or go dancing with her, but he had always denied them saying that he's not interested. He would often be called "boring" or a "stick-in-the-mud" from Rouge, but he didn't care. He did try to tell Rouge that she should do what he wants for a change, but she would disagree and say that his ideas for fun were "dull" to her and that he should be doing what she wants instead because she "needed" him. He would often sigh and give in to these requests as he gave up trying to give his opinions to her because he knows that she wouldn't listen to him. At some point, they did went to movie theaters, amusement parks, and some beaches as a way to bring a different change of pace in their dates. This was Rouge's way of trying to understand Knuckles. She thought that if he is in "normal" places then it would convince him to try to have fun. Still, he felt empty on these dates as well. He just doesn't understand it. Every place he and Rouge would go to, he isn't happy or satisfied. Why is he still feeling depressed? Why does he feel that empty void in his heart? He thought that dating Rouge would make him feel happy. He did like her, but maybe it wasn't enough to make him feel happy. Perhaps...he never did love her after all.

It would make sense why felt bored while going on dates with her, why he doesn't feel any spark every time they had kissed, and why he doesn't feel passionate while being with her. Maybe the reason he was so bored was because he had already experienced the "adult" life as he was growing up. He was forced to be independent and act as a grown-up since he was all alone on Angel Island. He had to be a grown adult because he had to protect the Master Emerald. He didn't have time to play like normal kids do. Perhaps that is why he gets bored whenever Rouge takes him to places were adults go to for "fun". He doesn't think them as fun. In fact, he thinks that they're dumb and a waste of his time. Not only that, but he also thought that he didn't enjoy them as much because of how Rouge was treating him the entire time. She would often talk more about herself and her opinions than listen to his stories or his opinions. Whenever he tried to open up about his true thoughts or feelings to her, she will be either un-attentive or just ignore him. He doesn't get it. He is trying so hard to make the relationship work, and she isn't doing the work at all. That was when he is starting to get tired of Rouge. He wasn't ready to give up on the relationship yet, but he is ready to make Rouge listen to him. So, he tried standing up for himself. This had led to lots of fights and bickering. Lots and lots of bickering and fighting.

He kept trying to convince Rouge to respect his space and his ideas, but she would get mad and tell him that he should be respecting her more because of how much she was being attentive to him since no one cares about him. She kept twisting his own words and beliefs against him and was able to make him feel guilty by crying while they were fighting which Knuckles didn't see this coming. She never did cry whenever they had fights in the past. Was it because she had opened up her true self and doesn't feel the need to hide it from him? Or...was she using it as a tactic to **make** him feel guilty? He soon grew even more suspicious of Rouge's true intentions of her dating him as the weeks went by. At some point, he had tried multiple times to leave Rouge and stay at home for a while to get some breathing room from Rouge, but she will cry and complain on how selfish he is for doing so. She said that he should stay to prove his love and loyalty for her as a faithful partner. He had to admit that he was struggling in this relationship. He knew that what he was doing wasn't perfect, but he is AT LEAST TRYING OVER HERE! He would argue to Rogue that she isn't trying hard enough, however, she would just blame her childhood past for her actions and not take any action to improve herself. He tried arguing with her, and he tried being patient for her to change her wrongful behavior. But he had enough of it. He would then keep trying to distance himself from her by taking some walks to avoid her. She would eventually find him and force him to go into another date on the spot. He kept trying to spend some alone time with himself, but she would either interrupt him or bug him to spend some quality time with her. He really can't get some alone time either since Rouge is always bothering him. It's almost as if...almost as if...nothing had ever changed in their relationship. They had been dating for months, and neither of them felt any closer. They were acting the same way before they had gotten into the relationship. He's feels as if the relationship is one-sided. He frowned. No wonder he felt so miserable with Rouge. On top of the already inescapable depression that he is having, Rouge had just multiplied it by ten. He feels so tired each day even when he got a full night of sleep. He felt drained. He felt...so empty.

_Neither of us had changed, had we?_ Knuckles brooded as he walked through the streets of Central City in the rain. He had his head down as he walked. He placed a hand over his head as he felt a migraine coming to him. He soon stopped in his tracks. All of sudden, he felt some strange energy up on the north side of the city. The sensation he felt. It's almost like...! _Th-The Master Emerald! What is it doing here in the city?! Is it Eggman who has it or...! OH, NO WAY! _Knuckles pondered before a light bulb came to his head. Up on the north side of Central City, there was another district where Club Rouge was located. …...And the emerald's energy was detected there.

Knuckles then felt a vein popping in his forehead. He had had it with Rouge. This was the last straw that Knuckles had with her. He had dealt with her making fun of him, teasing him, trying to force him to have...you know what?! Yes, SEX! She tried to have SEX with him by seducing him **EVERY. SINGLE. NIGHT.** He doesn't even want to mention it because it was too unbelievable for him to accept **that **had even happened to him. To make matters worse, she even humiliated him by telling lies and gossip about him with his friends about his "sex life". Even to Cream! Even he knows that's not right! That's just plain wrong! She had tried to convince him that going to casinos and dance clubs is considered "fun" when to him it's clearly not. She had made him watch only romantic comedies on her t.v and during dates at the movies. And last but not least, he is sick and tired of Rouge making him go shopping with her and carry all of her bought items, which by the way are like a hill of bags and boxes! And to top it all off, she had the **gall** to try to steal the Master Emerald from him which he swore that Rouge had told him she had given up on! He had just enough with putting up with her! It is time to put his foot down!

_THAT'S IT! I'M MARCHING ON OVER THERE AND TELL HER OFF ABOUT HER ACTIONS! AND YOU KNOW WHAT?! I WON'T EVEN CARE IF SHE CRIES ABOUT BEING CONFRONTED! SHE NEEDS TO BE TOLD THAT WHAT SHE'S DOING IS WRONG! I WANT TO BE RESPECTED LIKE A PERSON, NOT JUST SOME TOY THAT ROUGE COULD PLAY WITH! I NEED TO TELL HER STRAIGHT THAT SHE SHOULD **NEVER EVER** STEAL MY EMERALD FROM ME! GUARDIAN OR NOT!_ Knuckles brooded while feeling intense rage emanating from his body.

He then ran as fast as he could to Club Rouge while wearing enraged face. The rain kept on falling as he ran, but he didn't care. His eyes are set at Club Rouge, and he isn't planning to stop. Once he made it to the doors of Club Rouge, he ripped them open out of rage, He was growling profusely as he scanned the area for Rouge. All of the customers and workers all stared at Knuckles with sweat coming down on their foreheads. Knuckles then pointed at the workers and shouted angrily, "GUYS! WHERE IS ROUGE?!".

"BASEMENT!" all of the workers shouted in fear as they all pointed at the stairs leading down to the basement.

"THANK YOU!" Knuckles shouted back as he then bolted down to the basement like an angry bull. Once he got down to the basement floor, he then ran to the small hallway that lead to the special red doors in the end. He slammed the red doors open to see if Rouge was there or not. It turns out that she was there and looking very surprised as a result.

"Kn-Knuckles! Wha-What are you doing here?!" Rouge yelled in shock. The room that she was in was her secret stash room where all of her stolen jewels were hidden. And in the middle of the room was the Master Emerald. Rouge was currently holding onto it as she stared at Knuckles with wide eyes.

"ROUGE! WE NEED TO TALK!" Knuckles shouted angrily.

"Oh? About what, sweetie?" Rouge asked calmly.

"DON'T YOU 'SWEETIE' ME! LOOK RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU! EXPLAIN TO ME WHY YOU HAD STOLEN **MY** MASTER EMERALD FROM ME!" Knuckles shouted furiously while pointing at the Master Emerald next to Rouge.

Rouge tried to feign ignorance by saying as she turned to the emerald, "Oh? This? Huh. I didn't notice that it was there".

"DON'T PLAY DUMB, ROUGE! I KNOW THAT YOU'RE THE ONE WHO HAD STOLEN **MY** EMERALD! CARE TO EXPLAIN TO ME WHY YOU DID IT?!" Knuckles shouted back while putting up a fist at her.

Rouge looked back at Knuckles and smirked deviously at him. She noticed that Knuckles had finally got his passion back. _Yes. This is it now. Time to finally reel him in back to his old self again. All I need to do is give him one final push until he breaks. _Rouge thought mischievously. She then replied coolly, "Knuckie, I don't understand you. Hadn't you already told me that you gave up on being a guardian and wanted me to take the emerald because you don't care about it anymore? Honestly, I think that the emerald is much safer here since you're living here with me".

"JUST BECAUSE I DON'T CARE ABOUT IT DOESN'T GIVE YOU THE RIGHT TO STEAL IT! I ONLY GAVE YOU PERMISSION TO TAKE IT AT THAT TIME, BUT I NEVER GAVE YOU PERMISSION TO STEAL IT BEHIND MY BACK! SINCE YOU HAD TURNED THAT OFFER DOWN AND DECIDED TO STOP STEALING IT, I THOUGHT THAT YOU HAD CHANGED, ROUGE! I THOUGHT THAT YOU HAD KEPT YOUR PROMISE!" Knuckles shouted angrily while feeling hurt.

"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I'm the kind of person who gets to** choose **which promises to keep and which promises to break. Also, since I'm working as a spy, I get so used to deceiving people as I go undercover that I often break promises in order to catch crooks by surprise. So, sorry for not making that obvious to you," Rouge replied while smirking and shrugging her shoulders.

"'SORRY'? 'SORRY'?! AS IF YOU ARE ACTUALLY SORRY! YOU DON'T EVEN EXPRESS ONE ONCE OF REMORSE TO YOUR WRONGDOINGS!" Knuckles shouted in fury.

"Oh? You have something to say to me...Knuckles?" Rouge replied smoothly while being seductive to him.

_This is it. Time to shout out everything that I've been bottling up for these long, agonizing months. She deserves it! _Knuckles brooded as his anger rises again. With one quick big breath, he then shouted as loud as he can.

"YES! I DO! YOU HAVE BEEN TREATING ME HORRIBLY DURING OUR RELATIONSHIP! YOU HAD DISRESPECTED ME, HURT ME, USED ME, SEDUCED ME, HUMILATED ME, AND EVEN MANIPULATED ME FOR THESE PAST MONTHS! EVERY TIME I HAD TRIED TO LEAVE, YOU WILL ALWAYS GUILT TRIP ME INTO STAYING LONGER WITH YOU! YOU IGNORE MY FEELINGS EVERY TIME I HAD TRIED TO OPEN UP TO YOU! YOU WOULD ALSO IGNORE MY COMPLAINTS TOWARDS YOU! YOU HARDLY EVER GIVEN ME SOME SPACE! IN FACT, YOU HAD ALWAYS BEEN INVADING MY SPACE WITHOUT MY PERMISSION! YOU HAD NEVER RESPECTED MY BOUNDARIES! AND YOU HAD ALWAYS TOLD ME THAT 'I'M BORING' OR THAT 'I SHOULD LIGHTEN UP A LITTLE'! WHY CAN'T YOU LOVE ME AS I AM?!" Knuckles shouted loudly as he raised both fists at her.

Rouge just rolled her eyes at him and smirked. "Sweetie, since when had I ever done that to you? I'm very certain that I was very loving and caring towards you," Rouge replied calmly.

"**YOU HAD TRIED TO HAVE SEX WITH ME EVERY NIGHT!** HOW CAN YOU CLAIM THAT YOU HAD NEVER DONE THAT?!" Knuckles shouted in rage. He put his fists down on his sides and clenched them tightly. How could one girl give him so much grief?

"It's called being affectionate, Knuckie-boy! It's my way of showing you how much I love you. I'm in love with you, silly!" Rouge replied cheerfully with a smile.

"THAT IS** NOT LOVE**! THAT IS **LUST**! AND YOU KNOW IT, BATGIRL! ALSO, DON'T TELL ME THAT YOU LOVE ME SINCE YOU KEEP ON HURTING ME EVERY DAY!" Knuckles shouted as he felt even more frustrated since he is now red in the face.

"'Everyday'? Are you sure that you aren't exaggerating a little? By the way, Knuckles, you do realize that I'm not perfect right? I am going to make a mistake or two every now and then. There is no reason to say that I gave much grief due to these little mistakes that I've made," Rouge countered calmly.

"DON'T YOU DARE SAY WHAT YOU DID WAS A LITTLE MISTAKE! YOU WERE **USING ME** FOR YOUR SELFISH GAIN! YOU WERE MANIPULATING MY EMOTIONS TO MAKE ME FEEL SORRY FOR YOU BECAUSE OF YOUR SAD PAST! YOU MADE ME FEEL SORRY FOR TRYING TO SAY MY OWN OPINIONS AND THOUGHTS! THOSE ARE NOT MISTAKES, AND THEY'RE AREN'T LITTLE EITHER! YOU HAD DELIBERATELY HURT ME THROUGH THOSE TACTICS, AND I HAD ENOUGH WITH IT! YOU AREN'T EVEN REMORSEFUL AFTER YOU HAD DONE THOSE TERRIBLE THINGS! IF YOU REALLY DID LOVE ME, THEN YOU WOULD GENUINELY APOLOGIZE TO ME AND CHANGE YOUR WRONG BEHAVIOR TO RIGHTEOUS BEHAVIOR!" Knuckles shouted angrily while putting a hand over his chest.

"Um, sweetie? You do realize that changing into someone you're not is wrong, right? Why are saying that you want me to change even though you said that you want me to love you as you are? I believe that argument can be said about me as well," Rouge replied coolly while smirking mischievously at him.

"CHANGING YOUR BEHAVIOR DOESN'T MEAN CHANGING INTO SOMEONE THAT YOU'RE NOT! YOU HAVE TO CHANGE YOUR WRONGFUL BEHAVIOR IN ORDER TO PLEASE OTHERS! THAT IS HOW LOVE WORKS! IF YOU TRULY LOVE SOMEONE, YOU WILL CHANGE YOURSELF FOR THE BETTER BECAUSE YOU CARE ABOUT THEIR FEELINGS! HOWEVER, YOU DIDN'T DO ANY OF THAT WHEN I WAS GIVING MY COMPLAINTS TO YOU! I'M STARTING TO THINK THAT YOU DON'T REALLY LOVE ME AT ALL!" Knuckles shouted passionately as he kept on clenching his fists.

"Oh, don't be like that, Knuckie.** I really do love you**. I truly do. I also think that you love me too. Why else did you stay with me for this long?" Rouge replied gently while smiling "innocently".

CRACK!

That sound was the sound of Knuckles' heart breaking into two. He then realized just now why he felt so lonely and miserable while he was with Rouge. It was because...she was only faking it. She was only faking her feelings toward him. Whenever she says she loves him, it always feels shallow and flippant. It's like as if she doesn't know what love really is or what the significance behind that word means. It's also like that whenever she kisses him. It felt so forced and robotic that it feels cold to him. There isn't any sincerity or warmth behind those affectionate actions. It's only an imitation of real love. Rouge may only know how relationships look like, but she doesn't understand how it works. **That **was what was bothering Knuckles this entire time he was with her. Their relationship was purely superficial with no depth whatsoever. Knuckles then growled louder and louder and clenched his fists so hard that they may be as white as his gloves. He finally understood everything now. The lightbulb had finally clicked on in his mind.

_I was being tricked! AGAIN!_ Knuckles brooded as he glared intensely at Rouge. His felt the pain of the heart-break. The truth was painful to him. How could he let himself be deceived like this?! Was he really so depressed that he didn't care if he dated Rouge or not without being suspicious of her sudden change of behavior like admitting that she "loved him" for instance? Was he really that desperate for attention? For love?...It seems that it was the case as painful as the truth really is. He then shouted again after a few seconds of pondering.

"I WANTED TO STAY WITH YOU BECAUSE I HAD GENUINELY BELIEVED THAT YOU HAD LOVED ME! YOU HAD SAID MULTIPLE TIMES THAT YOU WERE THE ONLY PERSON WHO HAD TRULY LOVED ME! I HAD BELIEVED THAT! I BELIEVED THAT SO HARD! BUT YOU! _YOUUUU_! YOU HAD LIED TO ME! YOU WERE ONLY USING ME FOR YOUR OWN SELFISH PLEASURE, AND YOU DIDN'T CARE ABOUT MY FEELINGS ONE BIT! I...I...I HATE YOU! I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, **REALLY** HATE YOU RIGHT NOW! I _USED TO_ THINK THAT HAD LIKED YOU, BUT NOW, I KNOW DIFFERENT! I HAD NEVER LOVED YOU AT ALL! I USED TO THINK THAT MAYBE YOU WILL CHANGE JUST FOR ME BECAUSE YOU HAD LOVED ME! BUT YOU DIDN'T! YOU HAD NEVER CHANGED AT ALL! AND THAT IS WHY I HATE YOU! YOU NEVER LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES! YOU HAD NEVER MADE ANY EFFORT TO CHANGE YOURSELF FOR THE BETTER! AND OUR RELATIONSHIP WILL NEVER CHANGE BECAUSE YOU WON'T CHANGE!" Knuckles shouted with fury.

Before Rouge tried to interject, Knuckles kept on shouting angrily.

"WAS THIS WHO I WAS FOR YEARS?! ALWAYS BEING THE SAME PERSON DAY IN AND DAY OUT WITHOUT IMPROVING?! WITHOUT GROWING?! WITHOUT CHANGING EVEN?! NO WONDER I WAS SO UNHAPPY ABOUT MYSELF! I HAD HATED MYSELF BECAUSE **I WAS EXACTLY LIKE YOU! **YOU ARE THE WORST PERSON I HAD EVER MET! AND CONSIDERING HOW LITTLE I HAD CHANGED OVER THE YEARS! I WAS DOING NO BETTER THAN YOU! **I DON'T WANT TO BE YOU! I DON'T WANT TO BE LIKE YOU! I DON'T WANT TO BE LIKE YOU IN THE FUTURE!** I HATE YOU, AND I WANT TO BREAK UP WITH YOU! I'LL NEVER CHANGE FOR THE BETTER IF I HAD EVER STOPPED CARING! MAYBE I'M NOT COMPLETELY OVER MY GUARDIAN DUTIES JUST YET! MAYBE I STILL CARE A LITTLE ABOUT THEM, BUT NOT AS MUCH AS I HAD USED TO! I KNOW THAT I'M STILL STRUGGLING, BUT THE LEAST THAT I AM GOING TO DO FOR MYSELF IS BREAK UP WITH YOU, TAKE MY EMERALD BACK, GO BACK HOME, AND NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU EVER AGAIN! YOU HEAR ME?! NEVER AGAIN! I WANT YOU OUT OF MY LIFE, ROUGE! IF YOU COME EVEN CLOSE TO MY ISLAND, THEN I'M GOING TO KICK YOUR BUTT SO HARD THAT **YOU WILL BEG** ME TO STOP! SO, GOODBYE, ROUGE, AND SCREW YOU! DON'T YOU EVER COME BACK TO ME!" Knuckles shouted his rant one last time before he face-palmed himself during his rant, walked quickly towards the Master Emerald, lifted it up while shouting at her, turned around, and walked right back out of the secret stash room.

Rouge just simply stared at Knuckles as he was leaving with his emerald. She then smirked and placed her hands on her hips. She felt proud of what she had did. _Hook, line, and sinker. That red idiot finally got his act together. He seemed to have finally got his spirit back. Now, everything will go back to normal like before. I'll be going back to him to steal his emerald and fight him like we had used to. Ah, my guilty pleasure is back. Although I'll admit. I'll miss dating that gullible echidna. He is still very cute and strong for such a naïve person. Maybe he'll come around and date me again sometime. I'll wait. After all, __**he is mine**__, and all the world's __**"gems"**__ are mine to keep. He may have broken up with me, but he knows that I'm the only one who cares about him. __**Me and no one else**__. I highly doubt that anyone out there will ever love that stupid echidna more than I do. If there is someone, __**she**__ will certainly become my rival because no one steals __**my**__ Knuckie away from me! Anyways, I guess that it's time to get back to working at the club. _Rouge mused as she stared at the entrance of the room where Knuckles was once at.

Knuckles soon had left Club Rouge while carrying the Master Emerald with him. He then swore in his heart as he was walking in the rain to change himself for the better. He decided that he should try more harder in protecting the emerald. However, while he guards it, he will still leave only when the situation demands it. He doesn't want to sit around all day doing nothing. He wants answers. Answers to his internal struggle about being a guardian and what it truly means to be one. What is a "guardian", and how is he supposed to act as one? Those are the questions that he wants answers to in his troubled heart right now. He was definitely scarred as this terrible relationship had cut his soul very deeply. It would take many months to repair it. He would need to forget about Rouge and focus on his own mission to find the answers to his questions. And he will do it as he leaves his island and go on more adventures with his "friends" when the situation demands it!

And that is what Knuckles had done ever since that horrible, unforgettable, life-scarring day.

-Back To Present Day-

Knuckles was still staring fiercely at Rouge. Rouge slyly got closer to him as she said, "Oh, Knuckie! I'm _waiting_! What do you got to say for yourself?"

"**Only. One. Thing.**" Knuckles answered through gritted teeth.

"Oh? Then what is it? Tell it to my face," Rouge responded coolly.

_With pleasure!_ Knuckles brooded before walked down the steps to be right up next to Rouge. Rouge was smiling smugly as he looked into Knuckles' fierce eyes. Knuckles didn't do anything at first. When Rouge tried to open her mouth again to speak, Knuckles immediately punched her very hard right in her face. Rouge went flying down the stairs and fell down on her back on the ground.

"Oof!" Rouge yelled as her back got hurt by the hard ground.

Knuckles then went down to the bottom of the steps. When Rouge slowly sat up, Knuckles simply said while growling, "**Get out!**"

"What the-! Well, that's not very nice! I'm a lady! You shouldn't hit a lady, you creep!" Rouge yelled angrily while feeling offended that Knuckles would do this.

"Sorry, Rouge! But you're no lady to me! You don't even deserve any respect or special treatment from me! You had squandered your chance to earn my respect months ago, and by the way, my feelings for you hadn't changed! I still hate you! Don't you even think to try to trick me by saying you had changed or will change because I don't trust your words anymore, Rouge! I don't even think you can be sincere with me at this point! Just leave, Rouge! Leave and never come back!" Knuckles yelled back angrily as put up his fists at her.

Rouge shook her head as she got herself up. She put her hands on her hips and looked annoyed at him. She then replied, "Oh, come on, Knuckles! It's almost Valentine's Day! Why don't we go on a date just for that one day?! I'm sure that if we do that you will-".

"SHUT UP, ROUGE! I SAID **LEAAAAAVE!**" Knuckles shouted as quickly ran up to her and punched her while she was busy talking. Before Rouge had any time to dodge away, she was punched again at the face. She was flying high into the air by that powerful punch. This time she had quickly saved herself by flapping her wings to break her fall. She was now flying in the sky.

She then shook her head and then replied angrily, "Fine! Be on your own for Valentine's Day! See what I care! I hope that you are happy with that pink hedgehog girl! Although I won't count on that relationship if I were you! You know that Amy won't choose you over Sonic! She's in love with him you know! It is pointless to have hopes for her to love you over Sonic because we both know that will ever happen! You know that there is no one else who loves you like I do! So, why don't you just give up?!".

Knuckles didn't say anything but just growled as he looked up at her in the sky. Rouge was staring right back at him in anger. After an awkward moment of silence, Rouge finally sighed in exasperation and said, "Ugh! Whatever! Do whatever you want! I don't care! Be alone for all I care! But remember, Knucklehead, just because you had rejected me, doesn't mean that I'm over you! Our relationship is still isn't over, and I won't let it just because you had ended it! So, see you later, you stupid echidna! Idiot!".

With that, she turned around and flew away from the island. Knuckles soon breathed a huge sigh of relief. He felt very frustrated right now, but he was grateful that Rouge had finally left. He hoped that this will be enough to make her not come back to the island for a while. He soon walked back up to the altar and stood right back to his place on top of the altar's steps. He turned around, closed his eyes, and then crossed his arms again as stood there guarding the emerald again.

...

It was peaceful again. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself down. He knows that he did the right thing in ending his relationship with Rouge. He knows that his "friends" still don't understand why he had broken up with her, but he doesn't care what they think. At least he could rest knowing that he had made himself a little better by cutting off one of the most toxic people he had ever met in his personal life. He had no regrets, well, except for the fact that he had dated her in the first place. He had made himself a little less depressed ever since he had broken up with her. Still...he feels lonely. Now that Amy is sick, he had nothing to do for most of the week. He wishes that he could be with Amy right now to try to fill in the void he had in his heart. But it seems that he will have to wait until she gets better.

Perhaps...he could go get her a get-well card to help her feel better. That is what Knuckles did next on Thursday.

**At last, another chapter done! Well, I finally did beat my last chapter in length. Hopefully, this will be the last long chapter in this story. The next two chapters will be short. Well, hopefully. I'm sure you had enjoyed this story so far! Please R&R if you had enjoyed it!**

**Also, two clarifications I had to make!**

**One, yes, this is the one chapter that involves some sort of romance, however, this is the only chapter that shows that. Romance is still not the main genre of this short story. Just friendship and humor.**

**Second, if you're thinking if I'm some sort of Rouge hater on how I portray her or how Knuckles reacted to her, well, believe or not, I'm actually not. I'm not a KnucklesXRouge hater either. In fact, I like the ship just fine as well as ShadowXRouge. I just wanted to write this as a way to imagine how realistic the actual ship is in a psychological and sociological perspective. In reality, we all know that the ship wouldn't work out. Anyone could be a victim of emotional abuse and psychological abuse by this type of behavior that Rouge had demonstrated in this story. It's too toxic of a relationship to work out. If you are in a toxic relationship, it very important that you talk it out with one of your trusted friends, teachers, counselors, parents, or even therapists. The damage that this type of abuse is scarring to victims and will take months to even decades of repair to your self-esteem. So be good to yourself and get some help. Your life will be much better if you cut this person out of your life.**

**Also, if you like this ship and still want to support it without the realistic elements, then just don't think too much about. It's just a fanfic and also a fan theory of mine. So, take it with a grain of salt. You could still criticize the story if you want if don't like its direction with Knuckles' and Rouge's relationship. It's your opinion, and I'll be grateful to hear your thoughts about it. Anyways, onto the last two chapters!**


	7. Chapter 7:Two Boys And One Get-Well Card

I Want To Be Alone On Valentine's Day

Part 7: Two Boys And One Get-Well Card

It was around 1 PM on Thursday that Knuckles had gone into Central City to go to a small card shop. There were multiple cards in there for Moms, Dads, Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Spouses, holidays, birthdays, celebrations, and of coarse, get-well cards. There were also many racks of envelopes and extra paper for those who want to write letters with the cards. There were several desks within the store for people who want to make their letters. There were also pencils, pens, crayons, and stamps that a person could use freely if they had bought VIP passes to the shop. They could come in and make their cards extra special right there and then. It's perfect for people who are used to procrastinating and don't write letters or make cards often. It's also perfect for creative people to come in and express themselves. The card shop was successful in its business because of that.

Knuckles was there as he wanted to buy a get-well card for Amy. He heard from Vanilla that she is recovering well, but she still needs some bedrest to fully recover. He figured that Amy could use some encouragement while she is still recovering. So, that's why he's here in this store. Although he's also here because he is bored and got nothing else to do. He is looking around in the store to find the get-well card aisle. He took his time to look at some of the cards at the other aisles because he does admire the creativity into the design of the other cards. He soon found the aisle of get-well cards and looked at each of the card to see what he likes to give to Amy. He picked out some cards to check and see them much closer. If he didn't like it or wasn't interested, he puts them back on the shelf. While he was doing this, he didn't notice that another person is also looking for a get-well card in the same aisle. The reason that he didn't notice it was because he came into the aisle quietly and was also checking out the cards. Once Knuckles had soon found a get-well card that he liked, he put the other cards away and reached out for the card on the top right shelf. As he grabbed one edge of it, he noticed another person's hand was also grabbing the other edge of the same card that he was holding. Looking surprised, Knuckles turned to his right, and his eyes went wide in shock.

He saw Sonic the Hedgehog holding the same card that he's holding.

Sonic's eyes also went wide in shock. He also wore the same surprised expression that Knuckles was wearing at the moment. They stared awkwardly at each other in the moment. They were both quiet as they felt confused and surprised that they would meet each other at the same time and in an unique place no less. It was silent between the two of them as they were in their own thoughts.

_Just what is Sonic doing here anyway? Oh, great. This is going to be awkward. I just know it._ Knuckles pondered while still staring awkwardly at Sonic.

_Just what the heck is Knuckles doing here of all places?! Oh no. I don't like where this is going. I can already feel it._ Sonic pondered as he still felt shocked at seeing Knuckles.

After a few minutes had passed, Sonic decided to break the silence by saying awkwardly, "Sooooo...um...what are you doing here, Knuckles?".

"Ummm...buying a card for Amy," Knuckles answered awkwardly.

"Oh! Uh...um..._ooooohh yeeeeeaaah.._...urk...um...me too. I'm also...buying a card for her," Sonic replied while feeling embarrassed as he looked away awkwardly.

"Oh! Um...um...I see then. Uh, well then...hmm..." Knuckles responded awkwardly as he too looked away out of embarrassment.

They soon fell silent again. Some other customers came in and had strange looks on their faces as they passed by Sonic and Knuckles. Some of the customers kind of felt bad for them. Once the two of them had finally recovered from their embarrassment, they both sighed and looked back at each other.

They both said simultaneously, "We need to talk".

CHA-CHING!

They both bought same the card that they were holding, and they both wrote their names on the card together as a way to show that they had formed a truce between them. They soon walked out of the store together while Sonic is carrying the card with him. They both decided to go behind an alleyway to discuss in private. Once they saw that no one from the streets were seeing them, they soon leaned back on opposite walls and crossed their arms while looking away from each other. They would rather not be making eye contact right now considering how awkward the topic is going to be. After a few moments of sighing and clearing their throats, Sonic decided to be the first one to speak.

"Say Knuckles?...How is Amy doing?" Sonic asked shyly while staring at the streets.

"Um, you do know that she is sick, right?" Knuckles replied out of confusion while looking at the wall in the back of the alleyway.

"No, no, no. I didn't mean that! I meant...how is she doing now that she's...um...dating you?" Sonic asked again as he clarified.

"Oh! Um...doing...fine," Knuckles answered slowly while blushing. He knows that he couldn't tell the truth right now since they are still fake dating to get back at Sonic. So, he was being vague in his answers while trying to tell some parts that were true.

"Ah. I see. I see. Well, that's good to hear. I suppose that you are taking care of her well then?" Sonic replied while feeling a little ashamed.

"Um, yeah. …...Yeah, I guess so," Knuckles replied while looking down on the ground.

…...

They fell silent again. This is the most uncomfortable conversation that they ever had. Still, Knuckles decided to keep it going with him telling Sonic next.

"You know, Sonic. Amy was feeling very hurt when I had heard her say that she doesn't believe that you will marry her while I was on a date with her last Saturday. She told me that she was doing some reflecting and said that she thinks that you don't really love her at all. To be honest...I was really speechless that Amy would say something like that. She always had believed in you for so long that it seemed impossible to have her be doubting you. …...Sonic...I think that you really messed up. Big time," Knuckles said solemnly.

Sonic cringed once he heard that. He soon felt guilty again. He knew that he had messed up, but he didn't think that it would be this **bad**. He then agreed to Knuckles.

"Yeah, I know. I think that I had messed up too. I want to at least comfort her a little by sending her this card. I still care for her you know," Sonic agreed seriously.

"Hmph. Well, I hate to burst your bubble here, but that little card isn't going to make her forgive you. You have to apologize to her at some point. If you really care for her, then you need a lot of making up to do," Knuckles replied bluntly.

"I know! I...I know," Sonic said as he cringed again. He knew that Knuckles was right. He just hoped that tomorrow he would be brave enough to confront her and ask her to forgive him. After all, it is Valentine's Day. It's a day to show how much you care for another person, and sometimes being humble and asking others to forgive you is proof of how much you care about someone.

…...

Another stretch of silence came between them. Sonic rubbed his arms awkwardly while Knuckles just sighed as he continued to stare at the wall. Sonic then decided to open up to Knuckles.

"Hey, Knuckles? Did you know that I felt jealous when I heard and saw you dating Amy?" Sonic confessed while blushing.

Knuckles eyes went wide, and he actually turned his head to look at Sonic for the first time since this conversation started. Sonic continued to confess.

"Yeah, that's right. I felt jealous of you. I honestly thought at first that maybe...maybe that I did had feelings for Amy when that happened. However, as I had continued to ponder to know whether that was true or not, I soon realized that wasn't the case," Sonic continued while feeling sad.

"Huh? What do you mean by that?" Knuckles asked out of curiosity.

"I meant that...I actually don't feel that way towards Amy," Sonic answered in shame.

Knuckles then felt even more confused. He quirked an eyebrow at him and frowned a little as he said, "Um, that isn't news to me, Sonic. I already know that you don't like Amy. It's pretty obvious".

"It's not that! Look, I know that you know that I don't like Amy, but you don't know the **real** reason for it. …...The truth is...I only see Amy as the** little sister** that I never had," Sonic confessed as he turned to face Knuckles for the first time as well.

Knuckles' mouth went wide as he felt shocked at Sonic's confession. He didn't know what to say to that. Sonic decided to continue as he saw that Knuckles isn't saying anything.

"Listen, I do care for Amy. I really do. But I'm not attracted to her like that. When she had told me that she was dating you on your birthday, I didn't want to believe it. It sounded too stupid to be true. But when I saw you two together at the café, for some reason, I can't help but feel jealous that she's spending more time with you than with me. I denied my feelings at first saying that I don't feel that way toward her, but when you told me that you were actually dating Amy last Wednesday, that was when I had decided to figure out my confused feelings. When I had finally discovered my answer, I understood everything. I understand now why I felt jealous of you in the first place. It wasn't because I was interested in Amy as well, but rather...I just felt protective of her like any brother would do. I was worried for her as she was dating you. It's just my big brother instincts kicking in. Kind of like how I would feel protective over Tails if he was scared of lightning or was getting bullied by others. That is the kind of love that I feel for Amy. She's like family to me just like Tails is. I couldn't let anything bad happen to her. If I had ever saw you being hurtful or mean to her, then I would have gladly stepped in and defend her. I probably would have kicked your butt if you did something horrible like taking advantage of her and her body. I didn't want her to get hurt by you as you are her friend," Sonic confessed solemnly as he looked at Knuckles straight in the eye.

Knuckles' mouth was still agape as he stared at Sonic. He soon replied to him as he finished talking.

"But! But I wouldn't do that! I would never take advantage of a lady like that! I take pride in being honorable towards ladies! I just respect them that much!" Knuckles yelled in defense.

Sonic smiled sadly. He then replied quietly, "Yeah. Yeah, I know. I know in my heart that you wouldn't do that. But I guess that is just my big brotherly instincts being active in suspecting you. I know that you wouldn't hurt Amy. You're a good guy at heart, Knuckles. That is why I'm friends with you in the first place. You really care about others very much even if you don't admit it, and when you do, you are very loyal and passionate about them in your own special way. That is why I trust you to take care of Amy even when I'm not around to protect her. You'll look after her. If for some crazy reason that I'm gone for a long time and that there is no one else to look after my friends, I know that I can depend on you to take care of them in my stead as the leader of the group. Heh. Besides...". He soon winked at Knuckles and ended the sentence with, "You're the 'Dad' of the group".

Knuckles then felt rather embarrassed as well as touched as heard Sonic say that about him. He couldn't believe that Sonic thought so highly of him like that. He also didn't think that Sonic sees Amy as his adoptive little sister. Still, he soon covered up his embarrassment with annoyance as he said, "Ugh. How many times do I have to tell you don't call me your **Dad**?".

Sonic then smirked as he teased, "I don't know **Dad**. You tell me".

"You're pushing it, Sonic! Now, quit it!" Knuckles yelled a little angrily.

"Fine! Fine! Chill out! Please!" Sonic exclaimed while holding his hands up in the air in mock surrender.

"(Sigh) Fine," Knuckles replied as he sighed.

Sonic then scratched his head awkwardly as soon felt sheepish as he said, "Um, Knuckles? About what I had said to you on your birthday...um...I...um...I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I had said those hurtful things towards you. Things like you can't get serious relationships right. That was uncalled for, and I apologize to you for saying that. That was wrong and way out of line for me. Could you please...forgive me?".

Knuckles jolted as he heard Sonic apologizing to him. He blinked as he stood there feeling very awkward at the moment. He blushed and looked away from him. _Okay. Now **that** I didn't see coming._ Knuckles thought as he felt embarrassed right now.

He then sighed as he said quietly to Sonic, "...I forgive you. Also...I'm...sorry too".

"Heh. Thanks," Sonic muttered quietly but in a grateful tone.

…...

Yet another stretch of silence came between them. Sonic then stood straight up and off the wall behind his back. Knuckles was rubbing his arm awkwardly while looking at the streets instead of Sonic. Knuckles then said to Sonic, "Hey, are you going to...tell Amy the truth? About how you really feel towards her?".

Sonic frowned as he put his hands on his hips. He then lowered his eyes halfway as he answered in a sad tone, "I...I can't. As stupid as it sounds and probably is, I think that it's best to never tell her the truth. Not until she moves on from me. Listen before you say that I should tell her regardless, let me explain. I'm pretty sure that Amy loves me, but I don't think that she realizes that what she feels is just a huge 'big brother crush'".

"Wait! What?! What the heck are you talking about?!" Knuckles yelled as he looked back at Sonic quickly with the most confused face that he had expressed.

"I know. It's weird. But it's actually a real thing that could happen! And Amy has it bad. Listen, since you don't know, a 'big brother crush' is like when you're really infatuated for your older brother just because you think he's the coolest, kindest brother that you have. A sister could love him if he regularly protects her from bullies or enemies. Since Amy was once kidnapped by one of Dr. Eggman's robots such as Metal Sonic for example, she sees me as her hero. She already saw me as her hero before I came to Little Planet, but after I had saved her, her view of me had changed dramatically. She then developed a huge crush on me just because I had saved her just like a big brother would. I have always saved her whenever she's in trouble, and every time I do it, her crush gets bigger and bigger. She would always admire me for being so cool and so caring of her. A little sister would just idolize their big brother and would imagine him being like a prince in her own little fantasyland of hers. If you really think about it, it's mostly harmless. Weird, but harmless in the end. That is why I couldn't date her or marry her. I mean we are already close enough without being in an intimate relationship. I mean look at us! We practically bicker and fight with each other daily. She would also bother me by running to see me each day. That was why I told her that she should spend more time with friends in the first place because she had been bothering me every day, and I need a break. Of coarse, now I miss her because of how lonely I am without her, but that's beside the point! …...I would also bug her by teasing her or by running away from her whenever things get awkward. So, you see, we behave more like siblings than as a romantic couple. And...if I really did date her, she would be so heartbroken when she realizes that she doesn't really love me like she thinks she is. I just don't want to ruin her silly fantasy of hers by confronting her with reality. I just don't want to be the one to make her cry. She should figure out her feelings for herself, and if she did realize the truth, it is better for her to cry at her own realization then than to realize that when we're dating. In a strange way, it will be less painful for her if she discovers the truth by herself. It will give her solace that way. But for now, I'm going to keep on playing in her strange fantasy of hers until she grows up. That is what I'm planning to do," Sonic answered wisely as he looked towards the streets with his hands behind his head.

Knuckles listened carefully to Sonic's explanation while gaping at Sonic like a fish. He was stunned beyond words on how bizarre yet understandable Sonic's logic was for not dating Amy in the first place. It did show beyond a shadow of a doubt that Sonic really did care for Amy. He just loved her like a sister. That was all. No mysteries behind that. Knuckles then looked down on the ground as he felt astonished. Maybe Amy did the right thing and try to move on from Sonic. Knuckles then looked sad as he brooded.

_So...Sonic feels that Amy doesn't fit into his heart either, huh? It seems like I'm not the only one who has big void in the middle of the heart. It seems that Sonic has a hole in his heart too. I guess that we are very desperate into trying to fill in the void of our hearts by caring for Amy._

Sonic then took a deep sigh. He then looked back at Knuckles and said, "Hey, Knuckles?".

Knuckles then looked up at Sonic as his name was being called. He then asks, "What?".

Sonic then smiled genuinely as he replied, "Thank you for talking to me. I'm glad that we had finally got all of that negative stuff off our chests. Also, thanks for paying for the card with me and signing your name in it. I'm sure that Amy will be grateful. I'm going to go to Tails and Cream to let them sign their names too on this card. I'm sure that Amy will appreciate it. Thank you".

Knuckles looked surprised as he stared at Sonic. He didn't smile, but he did nod to him and looked away while saying quietly, "It's no problem. Just go send the card to Amy when you're done, okay?".

Sonic smiled broadly as his eager spirit came back once the tension of the serious topic was lifted. He then winked and raised a thumbs up as he exclaimed cockily, "Heh! You can count on me! Anyways, see you later, Knuckles!".

He then dashed away from the alleyway while carrying the card in his hand. Knuckles then looked at the streets where Sonic dashed to while crossing his arms and while still leaning on the wall coolly. He soon closed his eyes and sighed again. He looked back down on the ground as he pondered.

_Well, at least that cleared some things up. I would never thought that Sonic is very self-aware of what he is doing with Amy. I guess that he is trapped in his own prison. Playing as a "prince" to Amy while he doesn't really love her **that** way. If Amy is realizing right now that Sonic doesn't really love her, then I guess that I don't have to tell her the truth myself. Of coarse, if she did decide to fall back in love with him, then I guess that I should let her go into her own fantasy just like Sonic had said and let them have their own fun. I can't convince Amy to move on from Sonic if she is in love with him. It would be too wishful for her to might...Ugh. What am I thinking? I know that Amy won't choose me. Why should I even bother? I would only try filling my heart again just like I did with Rouge. It's not right. It's pointless. …...Ah, well. Valentine's Day is tomorrow. I guess that I should go back home. I wonder what Amy and I should do for Valentine's Day? Perhaps coming back to this city would be a good idea for a date. Taking a walk through the city is simple enough for a date. Maybe even go to an ice cream parlor would also be nice. Yeah, that could work._

Once Knuckles had made his decision, he soon got away from the wall and walked out of the alleyway. He soon walked back home to his island where he prepares himself for his special date on Valentine's Day.

**Oh, man. Final chapter approaching! I can't believe that I'm actually going to finish this story on time! I thought that it was going to be done later in February, but I suppose that I was persistent this time in finishing it. Well, if you like this, please R&R to show your support! I'm sure you guys had enjoyed this short story since it is currently the most viewed story so far. But I'm sure that my current and future fanfics might surpass this one! It was a short journey, but a fun one at least for you guys!**

**Also, I will like to thank my two faithful reviewers for this short story Lady Shadamy and Abril378. Thank you so much for your support in this. To Abril378, I know you want Shadow to make an appearance in the story, but I hadn't ha that planned in mind while making this story. So, sorry, he won't make an appearance even though it would definitely be hilarious if Shadow felt jealous that Rouge likes Knuckles more than him. But in my head cannon, I think he doesn't care. He's too busy protecting Sonic's planet as a Neo G.U.N. Agent (Again, that's the name for my head cannon of the government in Sonic's world).**

**Secondly, I could see that you are confused Abril378 considering what Knuckles is like in the boom universe. You see, the main cannon Knuckles and Boom Knuckles are two completely different characters, not the same person. Boom Knuckles is from a different universe. The same can be said of Sonic X Knuckles. Although Sonic X does have some parallels from the games. It is still technically a separate universe. It's kind of like comparing the Archie Sonic comics to the IDW comics. They may look similar but are totally different from each other in what is cannon or not. In other words, Boom Knuckles is already good with interacting with ladies while the game Knuckles or Sonic X Knuckles is still socially awkward. So yeah, it's very easy to get confused to what is considered cannon or not in the Sonic franchise. So, don't feel so bad if you got mistaken. Now, if you are wondering if Sonic X Knuckles will get better with socializing with girls, well, he does, but it's just not in this story. But I won't say why until I post the final chapter of this story. Speaking of different universes, Sonic doesn't have any siblings in Sonic X or in the games. Only in Sonic Underground that is the case. So, that is why Sonic had said that Amy is like a little sister that he never had. **

**And to Lady Shadamy, I know you wanted to see Sonic and Knuckles fight over Amy, but I think it would be a nice change of pace if they held a truce and talk it out like gentlemen. It may be slightly disappointing, but hey, you win some and lose some in these stories.**

**So, thank you so much for your support and understanding. Hope you enjoy the last chapter!**


	8. Chapter 8(Finale): Always Alone

I Want To Be Alone On Valentine's Day

Part 8 (Finale): Always Alone

Well, Valentine's Day had arrived, and it is 7 PM. It was a clear night. The stars can be seen, and people are walking around Central City. Knuckles was with Amy during their long walk around the city. Amy is clearly well again. She is very cheerful as usual which Knuckles was glad to see. Amy is wearing her usual red outfit of her red dress and red boots. They were walking side by side while talking calmly to each other.

"Oh! So, you and Sonic had bought that get-well card yesterday? Aw, thank you so much, Knuckles! I knew that you and Sonic would settle your differences aside to help me feel better! You're the best!" Amy exclaimed happily.

"Ah. It's nothing. I was going to buy you a card anyway. Sonic just happened to be there at the same time as me. It seems that he was planning to buy you a card too. I'm glad that the card had cheered you up yesterday," Knuckles replied calmly while smiling at her.

"Hehe! It really did! I hope you that weren't too lonely since you couldn't come to meet me most of the week," Amy responded cheerfully while feeling a little concerned for Knuckles.

"Oh, no. It's fine. I was okay during the week. It was a bit reliving to have some time to myself again," Knuckles answered while shaking his head 'no'.

Amy smiled a little sadly. She then replied, "You know. You sounded a bit disappointed when I had called you on Sunday. It was almost as if you were expecting us to hang together that day. Hehe, did you _really_ enjoy our fake dates **that** much?".

"Wah?!" Knuckles exclaimed as he turned to look at Amy while blushing.

Amy smiled as she teased him a little. "Aw, you're blushing, Knuckles! Is that a confession of a 'yes'? I think that it is! Hehehehehe!" Amy said while giggling.

"Well...I...uh…um...nnnnngh...fine. Yes, I did enjoy them, and...I did want to hang out with you that day. Perhaps a few times during the week," Knuckles replied awkwardly until he admitted it while feeling ashamed.

"Awww, I told you that it was going to be fun! I'm glad that you had enjoyed our time together. See? It wasn't so bad now, was it?" Amy replied while feeling happy as she smiled wider at him.

"Umm...well, no. I guess not. It did keep me preoccupied for a while. It was a nice change of pace for a while," Knuckles admitted while looking up in the clear night sky.

"Well, I'm really glad that we got to spend some time together. Especially as a way to get back at Sonic. Although he hadn't shown up at all during the week that I was sick. Cream said that Sonic had given her the get-well card as she gave it to me. I don't know why he hadn't tried to talk to me personally. Also, it seems that he hadn't met up with me today either. (Sigh) I guess that my plan was a failure then. I was sure that Sonic might have felt a little jealous when we told him that we're dating, but it seemed that he hadn't tried to win me back or anything. I guess that he is sticking to his guns this time and really wants me to get a life. Ugh. What a let-down," Amy replied a little disappointedly.

Knuckles looked back at her and frowned sadly at her. _You're wrong there, Amy. He was jealous. It's just...not that simple as you think. I wish that I could tell you, but...it's better if you find out yourself._ Knuckles brooded as he felt sympathetic towards Amy. He knows the truth. He knows that Sonic really cares for Amy in his own special way. He trusts Sonic to make his own judgments on his own problems. If Sonic is going to apologize to her at some point, then he will do it in his own time. He shouldn't have to worry about that.

He decided to try to cheer her up. "I'm sorry that Sonic didn't come to ask you out or make it up to you on Valentine's Day as you had wanted. There was nothing that you could do. However, I think that you hadn't wasted your time on spending time with me. It was good for the both of us. I think that we had gotten a little closer because of that," Knuckles said as he tried to console her.

Amy looked surprised as she looked back at him. She then said, "Huh? You really mean that?".

Knuckles smiled at her as he replied softly, "Why yes. I do mean that. You're a very lovely lady, Amy, and you do deserve as much respect as any person should. Sure, you do have your weaknesses, but in the end, you're a girl who just wants to shower someone with love and affection. And that's a character trait that I admire greatly. So, I do hope that you will meet someone who will take their time out of their day to spend time with you and to love as you are. If Sonic does come around and will love you even more than he does now, then maybe he deserves to have a second chance. So, stay positive, Amy. That's really the one thing that you're good at".

Amy soon stopped at her tracks. Knuckles soon stopped with her. He turned around fully to face her. He was smiling fondly at her. Amy's eyes were sparkling as little tears started to show up. This one compliment was something that she had never heard Knuckles say before. She could see that Knuckles was being very honest right now. For all the stubbornness and short-temperedness that he has, Knuckles can be very genuine when he is speaking about something he cares about. And right now...he cares about Amy's feelings. How much did Amy wished that she could fall in love with him right now since he had said that. If only she could express appropriately on how much she had appreciated Knuckles' words of comfort...well, there may be one way.

Amy then turned fully to face Knuckles. At first, she had a few tears coming down. She wiped them with her hand. Then, with a little bit of hesitation, she finally walked up to him, wrapped her arms around him in a hug, and then...she kissed him on the lips. One gentle kiss to say, "thank you". Knuckles was very surprised when Amy boldly decided to kiss him, but he soon hugged her back and let her kiss him. He closed his eyes as Amy continued to kiss him. The feeling that he had in his heart felt a little bit of warmth this time. He can appreciate the kiss this time for not being as cold as his first kiss was. It was warm and lovely. Although as warm and tender the kiss was, he still didn't feel any spark from it. He supposed that this was the evidence proving that he and Amy were just friends and nothing more. He won't say that the kiss was bad. It was pretty good, but he just didn't feel that attracted to Amy. He figured that it was due to him not kissing his "special someone". Maybe if he had met this **mysterious girl** then maybe the kiss would've been unbelievable. Clearly, this feeling of this type of kiss is certainly not considered "unbelievable" at all. Knuckles felt sad again although he still kept on kissing Amy to hide his pain.

Amy then broke the kiss and placed her head over Knuckles' shoulder as she hugged him more tightly. Knuckles returned the hug by holding her more tightly as well. He stroked her back a little to comfort her some more. They were both smiling fondly as they hugged. Amy then whispered to Knuckles, "_Thank you, Knuckles. Thank you for saying that to me. You're such a good friend. I'll be okay now thanks to you. That...that cheered me up. I needed that. Thank you very much for being my fake boyfriend for a while. We did try our best, but I guess that it's just us for tonight_".

Knuckles whispered back as he kept on smiling fondly, "_Yeah, I guess that it is just us for tonight. Also, Amy...I want to thank you too. Thank you for kissing me. I honestly did not expect that, but it was appreciated especially since it came from such a caring friend like you. Thank you for saying that I'm a good friend. I appreciated the compliment. And Amy?_".

"Yeah?" Amy replied.

Knuckles pulled away as he held onto Amy's shoulders. His eyes twinkled in the starry night as he stared at Amy calmly. He then said in a soft, low tone, "Don't mention it. I'm always willing to listen to you if you have a problem that you need help with. That is what a true friend does".

Amy smiled widely as she stared at him in his violet eyes. She then exclaimed in pure joy, "Oh, Knuckles! Fake dating you was the best idea I had ever had!".

"NO WAY!" shouted an all too familiar voice.

Knuckles and Amy jolted as they snapped their heads quickly to the streets behind them. They had huge, startled eyes and open wide mouths as they were in shock. The person who was standing a few feet away from them was Sonic the Hedgehog. Sonic had his jaw dropped to the floor and had wide, shocked eyes. He just couldn't believe what Amy had admitted to. The three of them were staring at each other in stunned silence. Knuckles' and Amy's plan was busted.

When Sonic finally got over his initial shock, he shouted again, "YOU GUYS WERE FAKE DATING THIS ENTIRE TIME?!".

Knuckles then quickly let go of Amy and put one of his hands behind his head as he felt uncomfortable in this situation. Amy then looked guilty as she confessed with sad eyes, "(Sigh) Yes, Sonic. We had lied to you. We weren't really dating at all. We only just hanged out together".

Sonic blinked as he still couldn't wrap his mind on this revelation. _And here I thought that Knuckles would be perfect for her._ Sonic pondered as he stared at them like a fish would. He then asked in a more calmer tone, "Why? Why did you two do that?".

Knuckles and Amy turned to each other and nodded solemnly as they decided to apologize to Sonic. Amy decided to explain to Sonic why they did what they did.

"It was because of what you had said to us on Knuckles' birthday. We were really hurt by what you had said. I wanted to get back at you for trying to avoid spending time with me by following your advice. I thought that if you had saw what a great time Knuckles and I were having, then maybe you would apologize and say that you want to spend time with me again. Sonic, I'm very sorry that I had lied and deceived you. Knuckles is sorry too. Right? Knuckles?" Amy apologized until she turned to Knuckles for confirmation.

"Hmm? Ah! Oh! Um...um...y-yes, quite. I-I...um...I'm s-sorry too, Sonic," Knuckles stammered awkwardly while rubbing the back of his head in shame. He looked away from Amy and Sonic as they continued talking to each other. _Man, I really am like the third wheel in this relationship._ Knuckles pondered while staring at the buildings on the other side of the street.

Sonic looked a little sad at first, but then all of a sudden, he started to smile. Amy was confused at first until Sonic started to laugh as loud as he could. Knuckles soon turned to look at Sonic in confusion. Sonic continued to laugh hysterically.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! OKAY! OKAY! I _TOTALLY_ DESERVED **THAT**! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! ALRIGHT, **THAT** WAS A WICKED** BURN**! HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE!" Sonic laughed loudly as he clutched his stomach and bended forwards.

Both Amy and Knuckles stared at Sonic with such confusion on their faces. They had deceived him, and yet, Sonic is just laughing away. He doesn't seem like he's mad at all.

Feeling a little concerned, Amy frowned a little and said, "Um, Sonic? Are you okay? You're not mad at us, right?".

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! WHY WOULD I BE MAD AT YOU TWO?! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! WHAT YOU DID WAS TOTALLY UNDERSTANDABLE! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! IT'S OKAY! I TOTALLY FORGIVE YOU TWO! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Sonic continued laugh while looking at them with the biggest smile on his face.

Knuckles and Amy both raised their eyebrows and shouted together, "HUH?! YOU FORGIVE US?! WE HAD LIED TO YOU!".

Sonic soon calmed his laughter down as he then explained to them, "Hahaha, listen guys. I know that you had lied, but I'm serious. I forgive you. You guys were right. I had hurt you two pretty badly that day. I was a complete jerk. I got what was coming to me. I definitely deserved **that** as my punishment for being a jerk. To be honest, Amy, I felt very guilty for saying that to you after our fight that day. I felt guilty for an entire week and a half! In fact, I came here to find you and try to apologize to you in the first place! Look, Amy, I'm really sorry that I had hurt your feelings. You were right. I should try to spend more time with you more often. You're my friend, and I should treat you much more better than that. Hey, you did follow my advice into spending time with your friends. Now, it's time for me to listen to **your** advice for a change. Oh! And Knuckles? I know that I had apologized to you yesterday, but I want to apologize again. I'm still sorry for what I said to you that day. That was very low of me to say that. You were right. You deserve more respect than that. Can you two forgive me?".

Knuckles and Amy were surprised with Sonic's humility and maturity here. It was a surprise for sure since Sonic doesn't apologize often. Since they saw that Sonic was genuine here, they soon sighed and said in unison, "I forgive you".

Sonic then smiled broadly and gave his usual thumbs up as he said, "Thanks guys! You two are the best! Say, now that we're here together, why don't we all hang out together as friends to celebrate Valentine's Day? …...Um, of coarse, if you two are okay with it, being that I had interrupted your 'date' and all. Are you guys cool with ending your 'date' early to spend time together as friends?".

Knuckles and Amy looked at each other in confusion for a moment. He is right. It was only a fake date in the end. Who cares if it had ended? They soon smiled in agreement and nodded at each other. They soon looked back at Sonic with relieved smiles on their faces. Amy then exclaimed, "Why of coarse we're okay with it! We don't mind at all if we had ended our date now! It is about time for you to spend some quality time together with me! Even now so as friends! Sooo, yeah! Let's spend the rest of Valentine's Day together as a group! It will be fun! In fact, Knuckles had told me that we were going to the ice cream parlor next! Do you want to come with us and eat?".

Sonic smiled widely as he exclaimed happily, "Sure! It's no chilidog, but it still sounds like a great place to go! Hey, after that, why don't we go to Emerald Town next? The suburban area is hosting a Valentine's Day celebration party throughout the neighborhood! It could be a cool place to go to. We might go visit Tails as well once we have time left. He lives there too you know!".

Amy and Knuckles nodded happily as Amy replied, "That's perfect! Oh, Sonic! You can be so romantic if you wanted to sometimes! Going to a Valentine's Day party sounds amazing! Quick! Let's go get our ice cream and go there! Come on everybody! Let's go!".

Sonic and Knuckles both nodded to Amy, and they all walked together to the ice cream parlor that was a few blocks away from where they were standing prior. Eventually, they soon went into the parlor shop where delicious ice cream is waiting to be devoured. Knuckles soon went towards the counter while looking back at Sonic and Amy as he said, "So, Amy, you wanted the strawberry ice cream while you, Sonic, wanted the chocolate fudge ice cream, right?".

They both exclaimed, "Yep!".

"Fine. Okay, I'll go get them for you. I was planning to pay from the start after all. Are you sure that you guys don't want anything else?" Knuckles replied while getting his rings out.

"Nope!" They both exclaimed while wearing big smiles and shaking their heads "no".

"Okay, I'm going then," Knuckles replied calmly.

"Thanks **Dad**!" They both yelled while wearing teasing grins on their faces. They always had fun teasing Knuckles like that. It was always hilarious to them.

Knuckles narrowed his eyes at them and frowned. He then muttered, "You guys are the worst".

He soon turned around and walked towards the counter to order his and his "friends'" orders. Sonic and Amy were snickering at the back as they walked toward their chosen table. Sonic whispered to Amy while chuckling, "_Hahahaha, that** never** gets old_".

"Hehehehehe! Tell me about it! His reactions are priceless!" Amy giggled as she got in her seat. Sonic sat on the seat next to her. They waited for a minute and half for their ice cream. Knuckles soon paid the cashier his money and grabbed the tray with three bowls of ice cream in it. He then walked to the table in the back where Sonic and Amy were at. He gave them their bowls of ice cream once he put the tray down onto the table. He sat down next to Amy on the other seat next to her. He grabbed his own bowl of ice cream and ate it quietly while Sonic and Amy were chatting with each other. Knuckles' ice cream was the cookie dough one. It's his secret favorite ice cream. Sonic and Amy were happily chatting amongst themselves while they ate every now and them. _It seems that things are finally going back to normal again. It's about time._ Knuckles pondered as he ate his ice cream in peace. He was honestly glad that he was left alone for a while. He takes solace in solitude when people aren't talking to him. He's fine with that. He was about done talking to them for the time being. Sonic and Amy did some catching up to do since they hadn't spoken to each other for a long time. Knuckles was listening to their conversation absent-mindedly while he ate his ice cream. He knew that deep down that he would be a third wheel once Sonic had joined the group. But he didn't care about that at all. …...Or did he?

They soon left the ice cream parlor after they had finished eating their ice cream and headed towards Emerald Town. It was on the west side of Central City outside of town. They were walking on a path in the forest called Leaf Storm Zone before they had made it to Emerald Town where Tails lives. Tails does have a workshop in Mystic Ruins, but he only goes there a few times a week to work on his new inventions. He lives in his home in Emerald Town. His house was made after his face. He built that house all by himself. Anyways, Sonic, Knuckles, and Amy were walking around the neighborhood while feeling impressed on how the town was decorated. It was like Halloween or Christmas where the neighborhood was completely decorated in the Valentine's Day theme. There were flowers being decorated on the houses. There were also some flower venues that sold flowers. Some red and pink strings of lightbulbs were hung over the houses. Some red and pink balloons were strung up and being sold by venders nearby. There were also large hearts being decorated on the lawns and on houses in the neighborhood. Everyone in the neighborhood was going out and playing with the games that the little neighborhood was hosting. There were some dunking games, throwing of darts on a heart target, some bingo games, some eating games, some bobbing of the apples, and some playing of sort of freeze tag for children's games. Also, children were going door to door carrying bags of candy and cards for others and for themselves. It was somewhat like trick-or-treating except this time the children are supposed to give candy and cards for others instead. This way children will give and receive candy either way. It was a really cool event that the neighborhood had made a few years ago.

Sonic whistled as he exclaimed happily, "Man, this event is _way past cool_! Everyone is out here having fun together! This is great!".

"Hehe! Yeah, this is amazing! I can't to play some games with you, Sonic!" Amy agreed happily as she looked at Sonic. Knuckles was walking behind them quietly. He was observing the event in silence. He had to admit that it looks really well made for a silly holiday event.

"This is so dang stupid that it hurts!" said a low, bored male voice from a few feet away from the group.

Sonic, Amy, and Knuckles all gasped as to who had showed up for the event in Emerald Town.

It was none other than Shadow the Hedgehog. He was standing on the sidewalk a few feet away from where the group was. He was eating a heart-shaped lollipop while having a the most bored expression on his face.

"Sh-Shadow?!" Sonic yelled in shock as he saw his friendly rival being out here in the open.

Shadow turned his head around and took out his lollipop out of his mouth to address Sonic. He then said, "Hmph. So, you came to this stupid event too, huh?".

"Uh, um, yeah. My friends and I just came back from Central City. We were just hanging out together for Valentine's Day. Soooo...why are **you** here, Shadow?" Sonic replied awkwardly while wearing a sheepish smile and holding his hand behind his head.

"Hmph. Rouge brought me here," Shadow answered dully.

Knuckles cringed as Shadow had mentioned Rouge. _Of coarse she did. How typical of her to do so. She's probably still sore that I had turned down her invitation to a date. Like I would care if she's disappointed._ Knuckles brooded while closing his eyes and crossing his arms as he frowned.

"Oh, uh, I see," Sonic replied awkwardly. Amy was standing next to Sonic while still feeling surprised and confused.

Shadow then narrowed his eyes at Sonic as he frowned deeper. He then replied with annoyance in his voice, "The Neo G.U.N. Force closed its buildings earlier today so that everyone who works there could go home early and spend time with their family and loved ones just to celebrate this stupid holiday. That's why Rouge and I are here because we got no work to do today. ...The government in **your** planet is a joke, Faker".

Sonic just frowned and shrugged his shoulders as he replied, "Hey, blame the government, not me, Shadow".

"Hmph. Whatever. I'm going somewhere else now. Don't follow me," Shadow replied as he shook his head and turned around while leaving the group behind. He put his lollipop back in his mouth as he walked away to the west side of Emerald Town.

Sonic just quirked an eyebrow at him as he left. Amy and Knuckles both turned to Sonic and asked in unison, "Why is he here?!".

"I don't know," Sonic answered as he shook his head and shrugged.

After that awkward moment, Amy then said, "Well, now that we're here. What shall we do?".

"Well, I am thinking about going to Tails' place and invite him to come along with us too. I can't leave my little bro hanging now. But first, I need to go somewhere. Now, don't worry, Amy. I'm not leaving you this time. I'm just need to get something first then we can go meet up with Tails. Okay?" Sonic said while smiling and giving Amy a thumbs up for comfort.

Amy's eyebrows were lifted as she heard that. She then smiled and said, "It's okay, Sonic. I trust that you will come back to us. So, see you later!".

"Right. See ya!" Sonic replied back as he winked and soon dashed off into another part of Emerald Town.

Amy waved at Sonic as he ran. Knuckles looked at to where Sonic went._ Hmm. I wonder what Sonic is up to. Aw, well, it's probably nothing important._ Knuckles pondered as he stood there looking at where Sonic left to. Amy then turned to Knuckles and smiled at him. Knuckles' eyebrows were raised, but he smiled back at her.

"Hey, Knuckles?" Amy asked coyly.

"What is it, Amy?" Knuckles asked back while smiling calmly.

"You know...that was my first kiss ever. I never thought that my first kiss would be with you, Knuckles," Amy said gently with lowered eyelids.

Knuckles gasped as he turned beet red in embarrassment. He said, "Oh! Uh, was it now? Um...ummmm...so how was it? Erm...the kiss I mean?".

Amy smiled brightly as she said quietly, "It was very lovely. Hehe, I didn't know that you were good at kissing. It was a nice surprise".

Knuckles blushed furiously at that. Why did every girl he had kissed with had said that?! He hadn't kissed anyone prior to Rouge or Amy! He will never understand that. _It must be a girl thing to say._ Knuckles speculated.

He then meekly responded with, "Um...well...y-you're welcome".

Amy giggled at that. Knuckles then yelled, "What?! What's so funny?!".

"Ah, nothing! Nothing! It's just that you're always so cute when you're being shy. You know your 'special someone' will fall for you if you keep that up!" Amy giggled innocently as she said this.

Knuckles blushed even further. He then yelled, "Quit it! Just cut that out, Amy!".

"Alright. Fine. Fine. I'll go easy on you. But...I guess that means we're done with the whole 'fake dating' scheme now, huh?" Amy replied before she looked a little disappointed.

"...! Oh! Um...yeah. Yeah, you're right about that," Knuckles replied slowly as he looked down and away from Amy.

Amy sighed in disappointment. It is a little sad now that the fake dating is over. Knuckles and Amy both admit that they had a lot of fun during it. Even if it was brief. Knuckles rubbed his arm as he thought about what to say or do next. How can he show how much he had appreciated spending time with Amy? To show how he truly feels?

_...! Aha! I know!_ Knuckles contemplated as he had an idea. Knuckles smiled and held onto Amy's shoulders. Amy was a bit startled as he did this. She looked up into Knuckles' gentle gaze as he spoke softly, "Wait here. I'm coming back to get you something. You'll be alright on your own for a few minutes, right? It won't take long. I promise".

Amy's eyes were sparkling as he said this. She smiled gently as she said, "I'll wait. Take your time, Knuckles".

"Heh. I will," Knuckles said as he winked at her. He lets go of her and walked towards the west side of Emerald Town. He turned around briefly to wave 'goodbye' to her. Amy giggled and waved back. Knuckles smiled and continued to walk toward his destination. After a few more blocks of walking later, he did find what he was looking for. He found one of the flower venues in the neighborhood. He walked up to one of them and asked that he could buy a batch of roses from the vendor. The vendor smiled and quickly fetched one of the batch of roses wrapped together in violet paper wrappings. Knuckles paid the vendor with some spare money that he had left and grabbed the flower batch. He thanked the vender and left as he went back to Amy.

Meanwhile, Amy was still standing on the sidewalk as she observed some people playing one of the games there. She had her hands behind her back as she watched. Suddenly, she felt a gust of wind was blowing behind her as her eyes were being covered with a hand.

"Guess _who_?" Sonic said playfully.

Amy giggled as she replied, "Is it The Fastest Thing Alive?".

"_Ding! Ding! Ding!_ You are totally correct! And your prize for guessing that correctly_ is._...**this!**" Sonic said while continuing to be playful with Amy. He soon pulled Amy around and showed her his own batch of roses. Amy gasped in surprise as she saw Sonic holding a batch of roses to her. Her mouth went agape as her heart was beating fast as she looked at Sonic's genuine smile and fond look on his face.

He winked as he said gently, "Happy Valentine's Day, Amy. I hope that this batch of roses will be enough to make up for me being a jerk to you. Here. Have them". He soon gave the roses to her. Amy slowly took them while wearing a lovely, bright smile on her face.

She said, "_Ohhh_, Sonic! You shouldn't have! They're so _pretty_! I...I...I don't know what to say!".

Sonic smiled fondly as he said, "Hey, say nothing. Seeing you smiling again is enough to thank me! Heh. Besides...I think that it's about time for us to do some catching up to do. Sure, we talked for a bit at the ice cream parlor, but we still hadn't spent much time together as you and me. Say, if you like, why don't we spend every day hanging out as friends? I'm sorry that I can't date you, Amy. But could you at least settle for this? You know, you and me. Hanging out together? What do you say...Amy?".

Amy felt like heart had just exploded in joy. Just like an atomic bomb dropping from ten thousand feet in the air. She had the biggest smile on her face. This is the best Valentine's Day ever for her! She is going to hang out with her childhood hero every day! She felt like she could melt on the spot with this proposal. She then squealed in happiness as she quickly rammed into Sonic into a huge hug from her. She felt like she fell in love again with Sonic. Sonic quickly hugged her back just as strongly as Amy is holding him.

"This is the greatest Valentine's Day present you had ever given me! First the flowers! And now with this proposal! Yes! Yes! Of coarse I'll hang out with you, Sonic! This is the best idea that you ever had!" Amy squealed as she continued to hug Sonic tightly while holding the roses in her hands.

Sonic stroked her back a little as he pulled back a bit. He smiled at her as he soon made a move that Amy didn't expect. He kissed her on the cheek. Amy blushed furiously as she felt her heart pounding very fast in her chest. She gasped again as she looked at Sonic with huge, sparkling eyes.

"Remember, Amy. I'll always care for you. You're like my best friend besides Tails. I'll look after you, okay?" Sonic said gently with tenderness in his eyes.

Amy felt like she could have hope in her dreams again. Those dreams about Sonic falling in love with her someday and dating her. Sure, it's not happening now. But this little confession is enough to make Amy believe in Sonic again. All of her doubts that she had on the previous days were gone by these loving actions of his.

Amy then squealed loudly again so that the whole neighborhood could hear her. "OH, SONIC! I LOVE YOU **SO, SO, SO**, _SOOOOO_ MUCH! HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY TO YOU TOO! THIS IS THE HAPPIEST MOMENT IN MY LIFE! WOOOOHOOOOOO!". Sonic chuckled as he continued to hold her. Amy kept on hugging him tightly in the middle of the sidewalk.

THUMP!

A batch of red roses fell down onto the ground on the street. Knuckles was standing a few feet away from where Sonic and Amy were at. He stood very still like a statue. His eyes were wide and his mouth was open agape. His arms were still in the air as he was "holding" where the flowers used to be as they fell to the ground. He could feel his heart breaking in two. He saw...he saw the whole thing in front of his eyes.

It was just one little thought. One thought that made have some hope. He thought that Amy could fall in love with him instead. He had heard Amy say that she had been doubting Sonic's feelings for her. He held onto that thought so tightly that he had believed that maybe he will be the one that Amy chooses as her lover for life. If that happened, then he would be satisfied that he had some kind of love. It will not fit into his heart completely, but he will be satisfied that he was loved. But now...that little hope became his greatest despair.

_I...I couldn't blame Amy for doing this. _Knuckles pondered as his arms finally dropped to his sides. He still stood there watching Sonic and Amy laughing happily together. Knuckles continued his inner monologue as he brooded.

_This is...this is the absolute pinnacle of infatuation right here. Throwing out all doubts and suspicions that you had before the moment that your crush does something romantic. Forgiving them completely even though they had hurt you very badly in the past. Once your crush shows that he or she cares for you, you immediately suck it up to them due to your strong infatuation for them. And Amy...Amy is no different. I can't blame her for choosing Sonic over me. I mean Sonic has more charisma and charm than I do. He attracts anyone around him. Even when he did nothing to deserve it. But for me...I had to work very hard to get people to like me. Heck, even __**love**__ me! It's...it's just not fair._

Knuckles frowned as he grimaced and looked down onto the ground in shame. He continued his inner monologue.

_Why? How? How?! How could they ever be happy?! Amy isn't getting her dreams come true by hanging out with Sonic! She is still single! Sonic is still living out Amy's fantasy as a prisoner than a prince! And they...they still have a hole in their hearts! Both of them have an empty void in their hearts! And yet...here they are laughing away as they felt extremely happy with each other! Why? Why?! Why could they get to be happy but not me?! It's...it's not fair! Not fair at all!_

Knuckles then soon frowned deeper as his eyebrows furrowed in anger. He kept on brooding.

…_...I...I was used. Again. AGAIN! I know that it was **I** who had agreed to the fake dating plan at the start! But! BUT! In the end, I was pushed aside for that blue idiot! The moment that we had dropped the whole fake dating idea, Amy had completely forgotten about me! It was like I wasn't there at all when this whole thing had happened! It was like I didn't even exist! I...I knew that I felt something once Sonic had hanged out with us tonight! And now I know why! That feeling I had was...was...loneliness. I felt lonely even when I was with my "friends". They had practically ignored me! At first, I was okay being alone for a while, but...couldn't they at least acknowledge my presence and have me involved in what they are doing?! I felt like I was invisible with them the whole way through! And this just proves that they don't care about me! They only care about themselves and the small world that they live in WITHOUT ME! IT'S...IT'S NOT FAIR! NOT FAIR! NOT FAIR! NOT FAIR! __**NOT FAIIIIIIIIR!**_

While having the most rage-inducing face imaginable, he looked down at the batch of roses on the ground. He clenched his fists very hard. He gritted his teeth. He growled very loudly in fury as he stomped on the flowers very hard and fast. After he had crushed the flowers with his foot, he looked back up to stare at the so-called "cute couple" again before he turned around and left Emerald Town by going up north to Mystic Ruins where the path to Angel Island is. He was soon gone for a few more minutes before he had disappeared into the forest where the road to Mystic Ruins is.

Meanwhile, Amy soon stopped hugging Sonic as a thought came to her._ Hmmm. Knuckles had gone for a while now. Didn't he say that he was going to give me something? He said that he will come back quickly. But why isn't he here yet? Hmmmmm..._ Amy pondered as she turned around and turning her head to look for Knuckles.

She soon felt concerned. Sonic soon picked up on this and said with concern, "Amy? Are you okay? What's wrong?".

"Oh, Sonic. I'm just worried for Knuckles. He said that he would bring me something soon, and he hadn't come back yet. I wonder what's taking him so long? He said that it will be quick. But why isn't he here yet?" Amy answered while looking sad at Sonic.

Sonic's eyebrows were raised as he looked sad as well. He had no idea that Knuckles had left to get Amy something too. _If Knuckles hadn't came back yet, then...Hmmm...maybe he had changed his mind and wanted to go home early? Although it is strange that Knuckles will leave unannounced like that. Then again this is Knuckles that we're talking here. He always leaves without giving much of a reason why. I suppose that he wants some space._ Sonic pondered as he stroked his chin with his finger.

Sonic then smiled and held Amy's shoulders gently as he comforted her. He then said, "Oh, don't worry about Knuckles, Amy. He probably just wanted to go home early. He has to guard the Master Emerald after all".

"Huh? But why? Why didn't he just tell me that he wanted to go home? Why did he say that he wanted to give me something then?" Amy asked Sonic in confusion.

Sonic smiled gently as he said, "Beats me. But you know Knuckles as much as I do that he's not very forward with his emotions sometimes. He usually keeps things to himself. I'm sure that he didn't mean to leave you without giving you a present or something as he had promised. Maybe something just came up, and he didn't have time to tell you why he had to leave so suddenly. You know stubborn he is in protecting the Master Emerald in all situations. Just forgive him this once, okay, Amy?".

Amy looked a little disappointed at first. She wished that she could say "goodbye" before he had left. After a few seconds, she soon smiled gently as she said, "Alright. I'll forgive that Knucklehead, anyway. Thanks for comforting me, Sonic. Still, it's too bad that he had decided to leave. We hadn't even started to have fun in this amazing Valentine's Day event yet!".

"Yeah, it's a bit of a bummer, but that's how Knuckles is sometimes. He is a bit of a stick-in-the-mud anyway. He's also a bit of a loner. So, I'm not surprised that he had decided to leave early before the party gets to start. But don't worry about him. **I'm sure that he'll be okay**," Sonic agreed while nodding with a sad smile on his face.

Amy smiled back at Sonic and hugged him again but being more gentle this time. After she was done hugging him, she lets go and exclaimed, "Okay then! Let's go get Tails and have fun in this little event party!".

Sonic smiled broadly in his cocky smile that he usually has and exclaimed, "Now, we're talking! Heh! Come on, Amy! Let's go get Tails! Heheheh, if he gets a little nervous into going, then we'll drag him out of there by using your Piko-Piko Hammer! Hahahaha, that will give him the motivation to get out of his little lab basement!".

Amy laughed as well. "Hahahahahaha! Oh, Sonic! You can be so cruel sometimes! Hahahahaha! But I am willing to do it_ if_ he does get scared!" Amy laughed while looking a little devious in the end.

"Hahahahaha! Oh! Who's the _cruel_ one now, huh, Amy? Hahahahahaha!" Sonic laughed happily while being in a good mood.

"Ahahahahaha! Oh, be quiet you! Hehehehehehe! Let's just go already!" Amy giggled as she then turned to the south to cross the road to Tails' place down several blocks.

"Heheheheheh! Yeah, let's go! The party is just starting after all! Let's make this day the best day of the year!" Sonic chuckled while exclaiming with energy.

Amy nodded, and she and Sonic walked to Tails' house together while holding hands.

-Meanwhile In The Mystic Ruins-

Knuckles was still walking home by taking the long way there. He didn't care how long he took to get home. He just wanted to think by himself without any disturbances.

"Aw, is Knuckie going home all by his lonesome self?" said a teasing, sultry female voice.

As said before...WITHOUT ANY DISTURBANCES!

Knuckles soon stopped in his tracks as he saw Rouge flying down to the ground a few feet in front of him in the middle of the road. She landed on her feet and put her hands on her hips as she stared at him. Knuckles didn't say anything. Rouge then spoke again.

"Well, well, well now. It seems as if you are all alone on Valentine's Day, Knuckie-boy! Where is Amy? Isn't she supposed to be with you?" Rouge said in an "innocent" sounding tone.

"..." Knuckles just stood there while being speechless.

"You know. I am still available for a quick Valentine's Day date, Knuckles. Why don't you come with me? We can have some fun if you like!" Rouge said sweetly while fluttering her eyelashes at him.

"..." Knuckles still refused to say anything.

"Come on, Knuckie! You know that you feel lonely. No one wants to be single on Valentine's Day. Why don't you date me today? It will be like old times when we used to be dating! It could be fun! So, what do you say? You in?" Rouge said as she moved her body suggestively towards him.

"..." Knuckles was still quiet as he stared at Rouge. He grimaced even farther as he looked like he was in pure rage. Because...he is.

Rouge frowned as she said, "Um, hello? Are you listening, Knucklehead? Why are you glaring at me like that? What did I ever do to you?! If you have something to say, then say it already!".

"..." Knuckles then narrowed his eyes at her. He soon closed his eyes as he growled. He then stopped and took a deep sigh. He soon opened his eyes again and stared at Rouge for a few more seconds. Rouge still frowned at Knuckles as she waited for Knuckles' reaction to her.

Knuckles then clenched his fists and walked forward to her. Rouge soon smiled a little as she waited to see what Knuckles will do next. Knuckles then walked aside of her and shoved her away with one hand as he calmly yet rage-inducingly says, "**Move**".

Rouge stumbled a little as she was pushed aside pretty roughly. She quickly turned around to see Knuckles still walking forward into the dark forest. She then yelled, "Hey! What was that for, Knuckles?! Why did you-! Hey! Are you even listening to me?! Get back here and talk to me or I'll-!".

"**Rouge!**" Knuckles exclaimed lowly as he snapped his head back at her while having his back at her. He had the most disgusted, darkened expression right now. Rouge soon flinched at what she saw on Knuckles' face. Knuckles turned halfway back to her. What Rouge saw was something that she had never seen on Knuckles before.

Knuckles had his fists clenched as he stood straight in the middle of the road. His eyebrows were fully furrowed downwards as he glared his coldest glare at Rouge. Even at night, Knuckles' face can be seen, but now, his countenance looks very dark in the moonlight. His violet eyes are darkened even more than usual. He has his sharp teeth being shown as he frowned. Rouge could tell that Knuckles looks completely different than usual. Normally, he would look either irritated, frustrated, or even angry, but not like this. This dark, cold, silent rage is what he is displaying right now. It's definitely not like him to show it. It's...unnatural to Rouge, and...for the first time, Rouge felt genuinely scared of Knuckles.

_Wh-What is with him all of a sudden?! Why is he like this?! Just...what is going on with him? What happened that make him look like this?! _Rouge pondered in shock and in fear.

"**Rouge. Let me make one thing clear to you, and when you do, go away. Understand?**" Knuckles spoke in an eerily calm voice while wearing an enraged mask on his face.

Rouge flinched as she heard this. She gulped and slowly nodded her head in compliance. When Knuckles saw that Rouge was listening to him, he spoke one sentence slowly in a low, dark, bitter tone.

"**I Want To Be Alone On Valentine's Day**," Knuckles said in a dark, cold tone.

Rouge flinched again after she had heard that. She immediately understood Knuckles' meaning as she stuttered nervously and walked backwards from him with her hands up in defense, "Oh...uh...um...um...uh...I-I'll just get going then. Y-Yeah. I'll go f-find S-Shadow now. Um, excuse me".

Rouge then quickly turned around and ran as fast as she could away from Knuckles. Knuckles kept on staring at her darkly as she left quickly. He soon sighed and turned back onto the path that he was walking towards. He continued walking forward toward his home. While he walked, he soon picked the pace as he was speed walking now. He was clenching his fists as he speed walked. He was grimacing as he continued to brood.

_I...I __**hate**__ them. I __**hate**__ my friends. I __**hate**__ my enemies. I __**hate**__ Rouge. I __**hate**__ everyone. But most of all, I __**hate**__ myself more than anyone else on this stupid planet. I deserve to be alone on Valentine's Day because no one loves me. I'm a loner, and I'll always be alone forever. Nothing will change that. I'm a prisoner to the Master Emerald. No one could free me. No one could save me from these heavy chains. None of my friends are capable of removing them. No one in this world is strong enough to do that. No one. Why do I have to be ignored? Forgotten? Everyone can be nice to me just like Amy was the entire time that I've been with her this week and a half, but she is no different than Rouge. She only has eyes on what she wants and will do anything to get it. Including hurting her closest friends unintentionally. That is why I don't trust them. I don't trust my friends one bit! They will always take advantage of me to get what they want, and when it's over, they just ignore me and go on with their merry lives without me. __**I hate them!**__ I __**hate **__them so much! Why do I always have to take care of them when I obviously __**hate**__ them?! That is why __**I hate myself **__so much! I act all nice around them when clearly I have my own desires that I want fulfilled by helping them! I become the one person that I **hate**! A liar! A user! A manipulator! I'm...I'm such a despicable __**monster**__! Everyone in this world rejects me because I'm a __**monster**__ on the inside! They __**hate**__ me! They'll never accept me into this world! They won't love me! I'll always be alone! Always!_

Knuckles soon felt tears stinging in his eyes as felt so enraged. He lets himself cry because no one is around to see him be this vulnerable. With tears in his eyes, he brooded one last time as he speed walked to Angel Island.

_There is no such thing as a "special someone". I don't deserve to have one because of who I really am on the inside. I deserved to be alone as my punishment for being a __**monster**__ in the first place! Screw having friends! Screw having family! Screw having loved ones! Screw having dates with people! And screw girls SO HARD! But most of all...SCREW THIS IDIOTIC HOLIDAY!...The only person who could truly love me is a __**monster**__. That is all. __**Monsters can't be beautiful**__. If someone had told me that they are in love with me, then they are either delusional or...they are a __**monster**__ themselves. A __**monster**__ is...someone who I truly deserve because secretly...**I'm** one of them too._

Knuckles continued to walk home in complete darkness.

…...But he didn't know it then, but about five months later, he will meet the **"monster"** that he had claimed that will love him. And until that day had finally arrived, it will be the most craziest, unforgettable adventure that Knuckles had ever been a part of. And then...he will eventually fall in love with that **monster**. Only then will he realize that not all **monsters** in this crazy world are bad.

THE END!

**At long last, I've finished this short story! I still can't believe that I finished it in time for Valentine's Day! This is certainly an accomplishment that I'm proud of. Well then, in the meantime, I'll be back finishing Blaze the Cat: Monster Outbreak. Anyways, please R&R if you had enjoyed this! Also, can you please just mark this story a Favorite? Because my goodness, Knuckles needs a lot of hearts right now since he's so broken up right now. Don't favorite it for me, but for him because he needs it.**

**(P.S) Also, if you guys were wondering why Amy doesn't get to be with either Sonic or Knuckles, I'll explain why. It's made to be realistic. The moral of the story is that love doesn't happen when you date your friend's other friend to get them to love you or to make them jealous. It takes time and maturity between two people to fall in love with each other. Also, sometimes there are some situations that doesn't make it the right time to be dating someone. Sonic didn't feel like it's the right time to date. It's very true in real life. Some people don't think that it is the right time to be dating, and it is a choice that should be respected. Well, at least Amy had chosen Sonic as her love, even though they won't date. So, Sonic wins in some way. Besides, it's through friendship that love blossoms from, and well, Sonic and Amy had their friendship being strengthened. So, who knows? They might get together someday or not. I just think that it is a nice change of pace that Sonic and Amy's relationship ended in a stronger friendship rather than becoming a couple. Anyways, this is why I had ended the story the way that it did. My stories are going to contain some realistic elements so that it's a bit easier to relate to. Life is not full of romance and happy endings like we _wished_ we had, and I'm here to remind you of that fact through my stories. That is all I wanted to add in this little update.**

**Also, I got more several things to address since it's the end of the story so bear with me here.**

**Oh, hi, Shadow. So, tell me audience, how do like his brief cameo? He might not be a major part of the story such as getting jealous over Rouge for example, but I'm sure that he had made you guys laugh a little for his reasoning to be here in this story.**

**Also, thank you guys for making this story popular! Your support was great! Kudos to my two faithful reviewers again for your support. Lady Shadamy and Abril378, thank you so much for your reviews! Also, kudos to any future reviewer who happened to stumble upon this little story of mine! Thanks for reviewing as well!**

**Well, if you're wondering if this is end for Knuckles, then I will say that it's not. This is Knuckles' prologue story to my biggest story that I plan to make in the future. It will be my tenth story. The story is titled "Guardian Angels". It will be like a spiritual successor to Sonic X as the story structure will be the same like in the anime of that show. Except, well, Sonic's friends are staying in their home planet while our new protagonist comes into their dimension. So, it's basically the same story but in reverse. So yeah, Knuckles' story will be continued there as well as another person which I will tell you in the next point below.**

**To Abril378, the "special someone" I keep mentioning throughout the story won't be Sticks the Badger or Perci. Sorry to disappoint you, but that wasn't who I was referring to. I'll explain. Did you notice how many times that I had reference anything involving the Godzilla Franchise such as the movie Knuckles had watched and the Godzilla costume he had held onto in Chapter 5? Did you notice how many times the word "monster" was emphasized? Those weren't there just because I want to reference a series that I liked. It was intentional foreshadowing to the new story "Guardian Angels". The mysterious girl is none other than my OC named Kathy the Moth. Now, before you think it is stupid because it is a KnucklesXOC story, let me tell you that this isn't any ordinary OC shipping here. Because it is technically a KnucklesXMothra shipping. So, yeah, it will be a crossover, adaption story of the Godzilla franchise into the Sega franchise. It will be like if Sega had made its own cannon of the Godzilla universe into their own style of writing. You see, in Blaze the Cat: Monster Outbreak, Kathy the Moth is revealed as a descendent of Mothra. Kathy is her real name while Mothra is her Kaiju name. So, her full name will be Kathy "Mothra" the Moth. The design of her is based off of the Mothra design in the 1992 movie "Godzilla VS. Mothra: Battle For The Earth". I think that the design of that Mothra is perfect if she was drawn into the anime style of the Sonic characters. Think of it. Seeing that design of Mothra in a Sonic Advance style of 2-D animation. Now, that is pretty adorable looking! If someone could draw that, then that is clear proof that the ship could work. I plan to make the ship and the romance story precious and adorable. It will be perfect considering Knuckles is the **_**Guardian **_**on **_**Angel**_** Island. Whereas Mothra is referred to as "Our Guardian Angel" in her song called "Mothra's song". You can find the English translation of the song in a Youtube video titled "Mothra theme song" by Youtuber Don Coqui. After that, you can see the ingenious of the ship despite how odd it is. If you still have some doubts on this OC of mine, go ahead and read Blaze the Cat: Monster Outbreak if you have time or if you're bored. It's not a perfect story since it's still being worked on, but you can see how well the concept is by reading it. Hey, the same could be to you Lady Shadamy. If you're curious about the story, feel free to check it out anytime! So, yeah, that is the story I'm planning to write in the future.**

**So, what now since "Guardian Angels" be won't made next? Well, I'll keep working on Blaze the Cat: Monster Outbreak first. Make a Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney short story next when it's in spring break. And lastly, make Sonic X Season 3: Shuffle Edition as my ninth story. So, that's all I have planned in the future. I'm glad all of you had enjoyed this! See you guys next story!**


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